Justified - Story 1 in the Unbreakable Series
by HeavenSpent
Summary: When a mysterious woman turns up dead, Five-0 turns to an outsider to help bring her killer to justice. But who exactly is Julia Abbott? What is about her that Steve can't get her out of his mind? After season 2, Steve/OC, episodic action, romance, drama plus plenty of team banter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. Mine are all mine :-)_

**Rating:** T for romance_  
_

**Pairing:** _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note:** _Story takes place sometime after Jenna & Lori leave in Season 2, but before the season finale. A case introduces Steve to Dr. Julia Abbott, a brilliant and challenging professor who has an uncanny ability to get through Steve's defenses, while leaving many of her own in place. What happens when two damaged but incredibly proficient people meet at the right time and place? Romance, episodic action, team banter._

Steve McGarrett pulled the Camaro into the parking lot at the pier as the sun began to rise over the crime scene. HPD officers were busy taping off the area, while CSU techs carefully searched the pier for evidence. "Kono, what've we got," Steve stated flatly as he strapped on his vest. Even for the former SEAL, 5 a.m. was painfully early, particularly after the late night they'd all had last night. It was not promising to be a quiet week.

"Hey, boss. Local fisherman called in a body floating near his boat on slip 9 about 4:30. Chin is over with Max. HPD hasn't found any evidence near here. We're thinking she was dumped somewhere else and washed up here." Kono gave the bullet report, quickly covering the key points. "I've taken the fisherman's statement. He's sitting over there if you want to talk with him. Victim is a Jane Doe, late 20's, gunshot to the head."

"Thanks, Kono. You don't by chance have any coffee with you? Danny ran out, and it was his turn to bring it," Steve looked over at Danny, who grimaced at his response.

"My turn? It was not 'my turn.' What am I, a barista? Do I keep a Keurig in the car for those moments when a body washes up before dawn? I am a detective. Not a rookie, not a uniform, and not a freakin' intern. De-tec-tive. See, it says so, on my badge." Danny paused to take a breath. "Besides, I would think, being a Super SEAL and all, that you, my friend, would be able to make some sort of caffeinated beverage from a few palm fronds and some water!" Danny retorted. Steve rolled his eyes. It was definitely going to be a long day.

"Um, yeah. Well, like I said, Max and Chin are over with the body. And no, I didn't bring coffee, brah." In spite of the early hour, Kono chuckled lightly at Danny and Steve's banter. She turned to go check in with CSU.

Max was carefully examining the body while CSU snapped pictures of the girl. Danny let out a low whistle, "Hey, without the bullet hole in the middle of her forehead, she was a pretty girl."

Steve glared at him, deciding not to say anything about Danny's inherent ability to mix murder with checking out girls. The victim was dressed in a short red cocktail dress, no shoes, but still had her jewelry on. Steve put on a glove and bent down to finger an expensive charm bracelet on her wrist. "What's her story, Max?"

"Jane Doe, approximately 28 years old, apparent victim of a single gunshot wound to the frontal lobe. I'm guessing .38 caliber, and by these powder burns, she was shot at extremely close range. No evidence of any trauma, but the water may have washed any trace evidence away," Max responded in a clinical, pointed tone.

"Max estimates TOD at between midnight and 2 a.m." Chin added.

"By the condition of the body, I believe she was put in the water right after her death," Max continued. "I'll have to wait for the full autopsy, toxicology, and ballistics to get you more answers, Commander."

"Thanks, Max. Chin, do you think she was killed near here? This is a commercial dock, doesn't seem the sort of place a girl like this would hang around after hours," Steve asked. Danny was right, in a way. She was rather pretty. This wasn't an ordinary kill & dump.

"Most likely she was killed then dumped further out, and the tide brought her in. Kono said her dress looked like couture. Either way, she's not dressed as a street walker. Given the close range, my guess is that she was killed by someone she knew. This shot was personal." Chin rubbed his eyes, stood and stretched. As the air warmed up with the day, the body was beginning to give off a stench that was difficult to take, particularly on an empty stomach.

"Okay, Max, let us know when you get the results. Chin, run her fingerprints and photo through the system. Hopefully we'll get a hit on who she is. Bag her bracelet and see if Kono can find anything out about it once the jewelry stores open on the strip. Danny and I will meet you back at headquarters."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0._

**Rating**: K_  
_

**Pairing**: _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note**: _ Thanks for the feedback! Updated chapter!_

Hours later, Kono walked into headquarters to find Steve, Chin and Danny hunched over the computer table.

"Any luck on Jane Doe's prints?" she asked.

Steve shook his head as he walked over to refill his coffee. "No. She's not in the system. No record of her in the NCIC."

"And whoever she is, she's not in the DMV registry. Maybe she's a tourist," Danny offered. "We think we know where she was dumped, based on Max's TOD and where she was recovered. Steve, having been in the Navy for a billion years, knows a bit about the tide charts." Danny made a face and Kono had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. She knew exactly what Danny was getting at. Steve was rather fond of finding opportunities to 'educate' the team about various elements of his training and proficiency. She figured that the two hours she spent talking to high-end jewelers on the strip was a much better deal than learning about tidal flows and how fast dead bodies sink.

"What did you get on the bracelet?" Steve asked.

"Well, you were right, boss." Danny made the face again and Kono had to turn and grab a bottled water out of the fridge to avoid laughing. She looked over at Chin and marveled at his ability to keep a straight face. Opening the water, she continued, "The bracelet is from Tiffany's. I spoke to the manager there. It's one of their most popular items, but get this – they only offer it in silver. This one was white gold, which means it was a custom order. The purchaser was a Douglas N. Chase. I have his credit card number and a description. Five foot, ten inches, about 190 lbs., short blond hair, haole, wore a custom suit. Paid for it on his black American Express."

Danny gave a low whistle, "Black Amex? I don't even qualify for the stupid green card. Black, I think you've got to a be a billionaire or something."

"Here he is, Douglas N. Chase. 3631 Kanaina Avenue in Diamondhead." Chin flicked Chase's driver's license up on the wall screen, and then tapped the computer to bring up more articles and photos of the man. The jeweler's description of the man who purchased Jane Doe's bracelet was spot on. "Looks like he's the CEO of a company called Metadyne. Married, and I don't think Jane Doe is his wife," Chin continued. The woman in the pictures with Chase was in her late 40's with short, brown hair, and the caption referred to her as Angela Fenn Chase.

"Trading up for a newer model," Danny commented.

"Looks like it's time for us to pay a visit to Mr. Chase." Steve started out the door toward Danny's car. "Pull his financials. Oh, and Kono," he paused, "uh, good job."

"Good job?" Danny asked with a smirk as they headed down the stairs. "Have you gone off and taken a management class or something?"

"What?"

"You never compliment any of us. Good job? That's almost… what's the word? It will come to me. It's something foreign to you. Oh yeah. Nice."

"I'm a nice guy," Steve said, as he opened the car door.

"Right. And I'm Thor, God of War."

"Ares is the God of War. Thor is the God of Thunder," Steve replied with a half smile as he started the car.

"Do you always have to be right? How do you know these bizarre bits of random trivia? What do you do, watch Jeopardy reruns alongside Terminator movies?"


	3. Chapter 3

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0._

**Rating**: _K_

**Pairing**: _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note: **_ Please keep the reviews and suggestions coming! Thanks! Updated chapter!_

The Chases had left two days ago for Bali and would be returning in a few days on Saturday, their housekeeper said. The housekeeper and staff didn't recognize the victim, but McGarrett wasn't sure they would say if they did either way. With the sort of money and lawyers he knew the Chases had, their staff was sure to be tight-lipped about any potential indiscretions. As he and Danny drove back to headquarters, Steve kept seeing the face of the nameless girl with the bullet in her head. He stared ahead, trying to figure out their next move.

"We should call Douglas Chase's cell." Steve determined.

"We should call his cell? Yeah, that's a brilliant idea, Steven. We'll call him. He'll deny everything, of course, claim his card was missing, whatever, or he bought the bracelet for his wife and she lost it, and she'll cover for him. Plus then they get four more days to tighten up their story. He can buy Mrs. Chase a new private island, and she'll get a few million dollars in her Cayman account and stand by her man. Short of heading to Bali, we're stuck. You don't suppose the governor would spring for a trip to Bali, would you?"

Steve looked at Danny and stated simply, "You're right."

"I'm sorry, I'm what? Did you say 'right'? I gotta get this on the record, because we both know, you'll never admit it." Danny laughed. Steve's phone rang, interrupting them.

"Hey Chin, did you find anything?" Steve responded.

"The story about Bali checks out. The Chases have a house there, and they flew out of Oahu on a private jet on Sunday morning. We spoke with the crew, who confirmed Mr. & Mrs. were on the jet."

"How about the financials? Anything unusual?" Danny interrupted.

Kono chimed in, "No, brah, nothing there. Chase spends like a typical rich dude, but no apartment rentals, car leases, large withdrawals… nothing to indicate a mistress or hired gunman." Kono continued with a small sigh, "Just a dead end."

"We're heading to the coroner's. Maybe Max has some more information." Steve thought for a minute. "Talk to Fong. Maybe he can take a look and see if we're missing something." Steve was hopeful the CSU whiz could come up with some way of at least identifying Jane Doe.

Kono replied, "I'll send him the info we've gathered so far. Hopefully he'll have a few ideas."

Twenty minutes later, Steve and Danny pulled up to the Coroner's Office. Danny had spent time undercover in some nasty, seedy places in his years as a cop, but hanging out at the morgue was by far the worst. It wasn't just the smell of the formaldehyde, or the dead bodies. It was the pervasive quiet, the low level of tension that filled every inch of the place, only to periodically be interrupted by the sobs of a family member coming to identify a dead loved one. At least that was better than the girl they'd found this morning. DOAs were part of the job, Danny knew that, but when he couldn't put a name to the body, he kept thinking of what he'd do if something happened to Grace or Rachel and he didn't know about it. Not knowing what had happened was much worse than knowing someone you loved was dead.

Max was reviewing a report when they arrived. Putting it down, he walked over to their victim's body and uncovered her face and upper body, exposing the Y-shaped scar from her autopsy. "The toxicology report shows an unusual amount of methohexital sodium in the victim's blood, and I found a small puncture wound here, on the side of her neck. The body also had some small bruising around her left arm, here, and here," Max stated clinically, as he pointed to the dead woman's upper arm.

Danny looked at the body carefully. "So she was probably grabbed from behind in a cross-hold, he held her arm, and injected her in the side of her neck. Methohexital, what is that, anyway?"

Max looked at Steve and Danny carefully. "It is a fast-acting tranquilizer, typically used to treat seizures or for rapid induction of anesthesia. It can slow or stop a person's breathing if used improperly without monitoring."

"I'm sure the killer didn't care. He wanted to knock her out quickly. But why not just inject her with a lethal dose?" Steve questioned.

"Maybe he wanted to grab and go. Incapacitate her, ask her questions later or make it a personal kill," Danny offered, thoughtfully. This didn't seem like a typical murder. "Was there anything unusual about the bruising on her arm where he grabbed her?"

"Unfortunately, the impressions did not leave any distinct marks from a ring or anything to identify the killer," Max replied. "I did, however, find a small amount of residue on her mouth, wrists, and ankles. I'm doing further tests, but I would render a guess that it is from …"

"Duct tape," Steve interrupted.

"Yes, Commander. It seems like duct tape or some sort of adhesive binding would be a logical choice."

Danny started walking around the room, gesturing with his hands as he thought through the scenario aloud. "So let me get this straight. The guy comes up behind her, wraps his left arm around her chest, tight, and grabs her right arm to keep her steady, injects her on the side of her neck with this tranquilizer, binds her, takes off the tape, and shoots her. Or shoots her and then takes off the tape. Either way, he wanted her alive for a time after he grabbed her."

"That is likely, Detective."

"Did you find anything else, Max?" Steve asked.

"No. The official cause of death is gunshot wound to the head, as I'm sure you surmised. Ballistics confirmed it was a .38, but the bullet did not match any ballistics on file. I am afraid I do not have more information."


	4. Chapter 4

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0._

**Rating**: _K_

**Pairing**: _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note**: _Super feedback everyone, please keep it coming! This is an updated, rewritten chapter._

Steve, Danny, Kono and Chin met at Kamekono's Shrimp Shack for some lunch and a break from this case. They had followed every lead, and yet knew very little about the dead woman or her killer since they had first fished Jane Doe's body out of the harbor.

They were still laughing at Chin's impression of Steve eating Kamekono's 'mild' shrimp gumbo. Steve smiled but he couldn't get his mind off of this case. The woman must have been terrified – grabbed, drugged, bound, and then murdered. An innocent woman lost her life, and yet they couldn't even give her a name. They couldn't tell her family… hell, they didn't even know if she had family. The team fell silent as they saw Steve's face turn serious.

He took a breath, and looked at his team. "I know we're all beat from today. And since I don't think the governor is up for springing for a flight to Bali so we can chat with the Chases, I could use a few suggestions," started Steve, looking around at his team.

"We still have his office," Chin offered. "Kono and I will head over after lunch and talk to the staff there, see if anyone recognizes the girl."

"Good. Hopefully she had some tie to the company, or someone saw her with Chase. Did Charlie Fong find anything, Kono?"

"I called him for an update while we were driving over here. He said that Metadyne is a private company, owned by a holding company out of the Bahamas. Apparently it's a manufacturing company with its primary plants in and around Springfield, Illinois. They make mostly private label ceramics and dishware for large retailers."

"Ceramics. Sounds like a likely murder plot," Danny sighed. "Another dead-end."

"He said that he couldn't get very far with their financials, but he had an idea if we were really stuck."

"I'd say we're pretty stuck. What's Fong's idea?" Steve looked at Kono in anticipation.

"He suggested we talk to a Dr. Abbott, over at U of H. Apparently Abbott is the top guy in forensic accounting, and taught a seminar that Charlie attended last year as part of his certification. He said if anyone could find a needle in a haystack, it's this professor."

Steve thought about it for a moment. Trusting a civilian to look into confidential files and help solve a case was clearly a last-ditch effort. Still, Fong was a smart guy, and he wouldn't recommend someone who couldn't deliver. They were running out of time. They had to know if either of the Chases were involved with the victim before they returned from Bali. Kono and Chin's visit to Metadyne would probably be a wash, and they couldn't afford to lose any more time. Resolved, Steve picked up his half-eaten plate of garlic shrimp and tossed it in the trashcan. "Danny, you coming?"

"To go and talk to the boy-wonder accountant? I can hardly wait. I don't suppose I could drive my car. For once. Since it is _my car._"

"Danny, might I remind you that there are co-eds all over the campus? I wouldn't want you to get distracted while driving," Steve retorted.

Chin and Kono looked at each other and laughed as they got up. "We'll head over to Metadyne and see if anyone recognizes Jane Doe," Chin said. "Anything else?"

"Call me if you find anything, or if you come across any new information. Danny and I will pick the brain of Dr. Abbott. Hopefully he'll be able to point out something we're missing. Thanks, guys. Oh, and _good work_," Steve said pointedly, as he looked Danny with a little gleam in his eye.

"Good work again? Now I think you're just messing with me," Danny stated with a straight face.


	5. Chapter 5

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. __My own characters belong to me :-)_

**Rating**: K_  
_

**Pairing**: _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note**: _Finally, we get to meet Dr. Abbott. She has a great story on her own, but we'll only find out bits and pieces as Five-0 finds them out (otherwise, that would be boring, right?) Hope you enjoy! Please keep comments & reviews coming! Updated chapter._

"So as we compare the different methods, note that the accelerated depreciation methods permit companies to take a greater expense in the early years of an asset's lifecycle. What issues might come up when a company chooses to use one of the accelerated methods like double declining balance?" Dr. Julia Abbott asked her class.

Silence. It was so quiet, Julia imagined she could hear crickets chirping. Typical, she thought. Not one of my students has read the chapter or prepared for class. I could have spoken Swahili for the last hour and a half and they would have just sat there and written down doodles and swirls in their notebooks.

The students started to stir and pack up their things. Julia looked at the clock over the door, and noticed two men standing outside the lecture hall. Odd, she thought. They weren't students of hers, and they looked too out-of-place on campus to be grad students. Besides, the class after hers was a French literature class, and they definitely didn't look like the French lit type. Five minutes left, and her students were antsy. Late to class and early to leave. She sighed.

"Okay, to answer my _own_ question, the primary issue is that there will then be what we call permanent differences between depreciation expense on the income statement, and the depreciation permitted by the IRS. And you know that the IRS is going to be very interested in any differences between financial statements and tax returns, so don't mess with the Feds. Don't believe me? Ask Capone," Julia continued.

A few of her students responded with a slight chuckle. At least they weren't all dead, she reasoned. "Please be sure to read Chapter 7 in depth and practice some of the end-of-chapter problems. I am particularly fond of exercises 7-8 and 7-15. I dream about them at night. I picture myself on the beach, solving problems just like those. Grading problems exactly like those while I'm grading the midterm. That right there is a not-so-subtle hint, for those of you who don't get my sense of humor."

Julia smiled at the few who appeared to be listening. "If you do get my sense of humor and get stuck, drop me an email or better yet, make an appointment during office hours. I'm terribly lonely during office hours. I sit and play Angry Birds endlessly hoping you'll stop by. Some of you, I have yet to spend quality time with, and if you're not sure if that applies to you, please take a look at your quiz score from today. If it's below a 70, you should be spending lots of quality time with me. I'm even more hilarious in office hours. And I have fresh-brewed decaf Kona coffee. So please write, visit, tweet, text, call…." More laughs. They always woke up at the end of the lecture.

"Thanks everyone, see you Thursday." Julia turned to start erasing the white boards. A handful of students came up to ask questions as the two men filed in past the streaming students headed to their next class. Julia packed up her briefcase and grabbed her cell phone as she answered the students' queries.

"Hey Josh, I have something for you in my office for your research project. Why don't you hang tight and walk back with me?" Julia asked one of her students as the others left. She stood for a moment and waited for the two men to come up to the table. She noticed their holstered guns first, and then their silver badges.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

The shorter of the two had combed-back blond hair and a fitted button down shirt with a tie loosely around his neck. Definitely a cop and not a Fed, she thought. The only people she knew who wore ties without a jacket were cops, but usually only on the mainland. The taller man's short brown hair accentuated his angled face. His open button-down shirt and t-shirt barely hid his muscular arms, and as her eyes lingered slightly over his physique, she noticed how broad his chest was. She glanced back briefly at his face, trying to mask her attraction. He stood back slightly, his arms folded, his blue eyes intent on Julia. As much as she wanted to look away, she forced herself to return his intense look. She picked up her briefcase expectantly.

"Are you Dr. Abbott?" the dark-haired man asked in a soft, but commanding low voice.

"I am," she paused, taking a calming breath. "I have a very brief appointment with this student who needs to get to his next class. Why don't you gentlemen come down to my office with me, and we can talk there?" Julia offered. Before either man could answer, she walked around them and out of the lecture hall.


	6. Chapter 6

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)_

**Rating**: _T (for romance)_

**Pairing**: _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note**: _More setup for Steve and Julia, but also a lot of procedural stuff that makes H50 such a great show. Hope you like the chapter - comments please! Updated chapter.__  
_

Her heels clicked on the linoleum floor as Josh prattled on about his dilemma of finding an appropriate topic for his research paper. Julia was keenly aware of the two men walking behind her. She forced herself to take another deep breath as the four headed toward her office on the second floor.

She reached for the glass door of the department, surprised to find the dark-haired man opening the door for her. She smiled at him briefly, then stepped inside. Kathy, the department admin, was on the phone but looked up and casually gave a wave to Julia. Julia checked her box and picked up a few items before heading with her entourage to her office.

She turned to the two men and smiled. "Please wait here. This will only take a minute. Josh?" She opened the door and headed into her office as Josh followed her in.

Steve could hear Dr. Abbott talking to her student about some sort of research the kid was working on. He and Danny exchanged looks as they stood awkwardly outside in the narrow hallway leading to Julia's office. The other offices on her hallway were closed, and he could just see a bit inside her office. Along one wall of her office was a huge floor-to-ceiling bookcase. In front of it was a leather couch paired with two end chairs on either side and two small tables, forming what looked to be a comfortable meeting area, while a large wooden desk in front of a tall window filled the other side of the office.

He had been surprised to find that the 'forensic accounting guy' Fong had referred them to was a young woman, and an attractive one at that. When they had arrived, the secretary told them that Dr. Abbott was giving a lecture up in room 330. He wondered why Dr. Abbott had invited them to her office without letting them introduce themselves or finding out why they were there. But then again, they didn't exactly blend in on campus, and their badges and guns were a dead giveaway. Given Fong's recommendation, it was likely that she had worked with HPD before. Still, he was reluctant to trust someone he didn't know with this case, someone he knew nothing about.

Julia handed a book from her desk to Josh, smiling inwardly when she saw that the two men were staying, as requested, in the hallway. Refocusing on the task at hand, she stated, "Josh, here's a great reference on partnership accounting you can borrow. Let me just grab you a second book." With that, Julia walked over to the couch in front of the bookcase, kicked off her heels and proceeded to climb onto the couch, not an easy thing in her black pencil skirt. She really should move the couch and grab her stepladder, she thought, but she was in a hurry and it wasn't as if she hadn't balanced precariously on top of the couch's narrow edge before. Julia put one stocking foot on the top of the couch and pushed up off the cushion with her other foot as she balanced on the top edge of the couch and tried to grab a book off of the high shelf. Just as the tip of her fingers touched the edge of the heavy book, she felt two strong hands wrap around her waist as she teetered back off-balance to step back on to the seat of the couch.

"Here, let me help," the dark-haired man stated calmly as he offered her his hand while still keeping one hand gently on her waist. Julia placed her hand in his, and stepped down on to the floor. A small tremor traveled down Julia's back and she felt her cheeks flush as she smiled at him. His hand was smooth and soft, but strong. As he dropped his hand from her waist, she could still feel the warmth where it had been. She could feel her heart pounding, as she tried to calm the intense feelings his touch had brought out in her.

"Um, it's that thick one there with the maroon binding. _Taxation of Partnerships and Pass-Thru Entities_. Thank you, Detective." Julia pointed to the book in question.

"Actually, it's Commander," he replied quietly, retrieving the book and offering it to her.

Julia smiled politely at the man, turned, and handed the book to Josh. Refocusing, she continued speaking to Josh, "You should compare GAAP's treatment of partnership capital accounts to the IRS's treatment in the Tax Code and case law. I think you'll find a topic worthy of an interesting paper somewhere in there. Take a careful look at the practical applications rather than just the theory. We can talk more next week after you've done a bit more legwork."

Danny leaned against the wall of the hallway, his arms crossed as he watched Dr. Abbott. He had admired her long, shapely legs when Steve helped her down from the couch. Her skirt hugged her figure in all of the right places, Danny noted with a smile. He would have sat through hours of accounting and finance just to look at her legs, let alone the rest of her. As Josh stepped out into the hallway carrying the books and walked past Danny, he joined Steve in her office.

Steve watched as Julia reached down and slipped her 3-inch heels back on. She was about five foot seven, he thought. By the tiny size of her waist, he estimated she was 120 pounds and active – probably a runner given the toned appearance of her legs and hips. Julia's soft ivory skin was uncommonly pale for Hawaii. Her hazel eyes looked back at him through long, black lashes, while her chestnut hair fell softly around her shoulders, untinged by grey. She seemed to be in her mid-thirties, but there was something in her eyes that looked much older, as though she had experienced more pain and trauma than she ever should have. No ring on her finger, so she was probably single. Steve chastened himself at thinking about her marital status when they had a murder to solve. That was Danny's arena. He had to stay focused on the task at hand.


	7. Chapter 7

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me _

**Rating**: _T (for romance)_

**Pairing**: _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note**: _Hope you enjoy - feedback welcome! Updated chapter._

"So, gentlemen, while I appreciate your help, and your height," Julia smiled, slightly embarrassed, "I take it you're not here to help me reorganize my bookshelf or save me from the perils of partnership capital accounts. What can I do for you?"

Danny stepped forward, offering his hand, "I'm Detective Danny Williams, and this is Commander Steve McGarrett. We're with the Five-0 task force." He smiled, and his soft blue eyes sparkled. "We were told that you were an expert in forensic accounting. We're hoping you can help us shed some light on a case we're working on."

Julia shook their hands, lingering slightly as she held Commander McGarrett's hand again, then gestured for them to sit down. She gently bit her lip as her pulse continued to race. "Can I get either of you something to drink? Coffee, or water, perhaps? I'm afraid I don't drink soda, and I only have decaf, but it is a fresh pot."

"Thank you, ma'am, we're all set," Steve replied as he glanced around the office. The late afternoon sun filled the room and cast a soft glow over the furnishings. "We're investigating the death of a young woman, and Charlie Fong thought you might be able to help us."

Julia smiled. "Charlie Fong. He was a student at a graduate seminar I offered last term. I remember him well. He had read a few of my articles before the seminar – and no one reads my articles." She grinned. "I hope he's doing well at HPD?" she asked, as she stepped behind her desk facing the seating area and started rearranging the papers, trying to distract herself from her thoughts of the handsome officers in her office, particularly Commander McGarrett.

Just then, Kathy knocked on the open door. Julia looked up surprised and slightly flustered, and saw that Kathy had a stack of pink message slips in her hand. Sighing, she walked over to take them from her. The administrative side of her job was her least favorite thing to do, and while Julia was meticulous in her work and research, she procrastinated as much as possible on distasteful tasks like reviewing grant applications.

"Dr. Abbott, I'm sorry to interrupt. The dean called and he'd like to meet with you to get an update on the dissertations you're overseeing," Kathy offered. Kathy smiled at the two men, who were far more attractive than any cops she had ever had the chance to meet.

"Um, sure. Just set something up and put it in my calendar. And Kathy? Could you do me a favor?"

"Yes?"

"Close the door and if anyone interrupts, please tackle them and drag them back by their hair to the waiting area?"

Kathy giggled and blushed slightly, then closed the door. Julia turned around and distractedly began flipping through the message slips as she walked back toward her desk.

"Dr. Abbott."

She looked up, startled, to see Commander McGarrett standing in front of her, surprised by his presence and his quiet and unwavering voice. She hadn't heard him get up, or even move across the room, and yet he was right there, just inches in front of her. McGarrett had a way of garnering her attention that made her more than a little uncomfortable, not unlike some of the men she had worked with before, long ago in a prior life. She stopped to look at him. He was quite handsome, but it was his intensity that made her breath catch.

Setting down the messages on her desk, Julia reached for her MIT mug and poured herself a cup of coffee, trying to maintain her professionalism and not get distracted by Commander McGarrett. She placed the coffee on the table in front of the couch and chairs, and settled herself into one of the side chairs as she gestured to the officers. "Please, have a seat, and tell me how I can be of help."

Steve noticed how she responded to his voice. Very professional, he thought, but slightly nervous. He looked around the office at the degrees, certificates and articles framed on the wall. Julia Reeve Somers, B.S. in Mathematics from MIT, M.S. in Theoretical Mathematics and Ph.D. in Accounting, both from Harvard. Abbott must be her married name. She must be divorced now, he surmised, particularly since there were no personal photos in her office and no ring on her finger.

Her office was a little cluttered, with distinct stacks of books and papers on the large windowsill behind her desk. Yet her desk was rather clean, much cleaner than Danny's. Dressed in a black skirt, nude pumps, and a crisp grey and white striped shirt, Julia looked more like a corporate executive than a professor. There was something he noticed about the way she sat, comfortably but perfectly straight. He wondered what she had done before she came to the university. Steve made a mental note to have to have Chin pull her files, and find out exactly who Dr. Julia Abbott was.

Steve walked around and sat down on the chair across from Julia. Danny began to explain about Jane Doe, and their failed attempts to find out any information about her, her relationship to Douglas Chase and Metadyne. Julia stopped him briefly as she grabbed a thick yellow pad from the side table and started to jot down notes as she nodded to Steve and Danny to continue.

After they laid out the information they had gathered, Julia set down her pad on the coffee table and picked up her mug, taking a deep sip of the fragrant coffee as she closed her eyes and leaned back. She pinched the bridge of her nose gently, and ran her fingers casually through her hair. Putting down the mug next to the pad, she looked expectantly at the two police officers.

Steve glanced at her pad and saw that her notes were just random words Danny had mentioned with circles and arrows around the paper. He was just about to write the visit off as a complete waste of time when she asked softly, "Do you have a picture?"

"A picture? We only have a picture of the body after we recovered it this morning," Danny responded, confused by her request. "Why do you want to see it?"

Julia looked at the two men thoughtfully. She said, slowly and gently, "It helps me to see her as a person, rather than a case. I realize the photo may be a bit gruesome, but I'm not squeamish."

Steve took out his phone, brought up the photo of Jane Doe's face, and turned it around to show Dr. Abbott. Julia leaned forward to look more closely. As she studied the picture, Steve noticed her brow furrow and her eyes sadden. She sat back and took another large sip of her coffee as Steve put his phone quietly away. They sat briefly in the silence. Steve watched her, unable to read her face. Julia took a deep breath, then began.

"Well, you're in quite the pickle. You can't go after the Chases, and even if you did, they'd have some good excuses and hide behind their lawyers. Circulating the girl's photo to the other 49 states will help but it will take too much time. With the limited number of states that have digital driver's license records, you won't get much of a response from, say, Idaho. I'm assuming you checked NCIC and the FBI."

"There's possibly something in the Chases' records, or in the company." Julia paused briefly. "You said Metadyne is privately owned? Not that being privately owned is suspicious, but it means we need to dig further." Julia was on a roll, her head beginning to fill with ideas. She picked up the pad and flipped to a new page, furiously writing down the ideas that were coming to her. Suddenly she stopped and looked up at Steve and Danny.

"Here's the issue. I don't know what we're looking for, but I'll see it when I find it. It's this quirky way that I work. I need to get my hands on all of the data and crunch some numbers. I look for patterns, just like you do at a crime scene, only my patterns are deeply hidden, deliberately obscured by clever people trying to hide something very serious from someone. Either way, I don't have the access I need here. I'll need a computer capable of serious data calculations and access to financial records, SEC data, IRS filings, Customs reports, State Department records, and Hawaii tax records, a huge pot of herbal tea, and a quiet place to think. If you can set me up with that, I can come over and work through what I can." Julia looked at Steve and Danny, her face cool with confidence. "We need to get this girl a name and find out why she's been murdered."


	8. Chapter 8

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me _

**Rating**: T (romance)_  
_

**Pairing**: _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note**: _More Steve & Danny banter for the fans. Updated chapter._

Steve and Danny headed back to Five-0's headquarters as the sun began to dip in the late afternoon. Steve looked in the rear view mirror; Julia's black convertible was right behind them. Her dark sunglasses hid her eyes, but she was smiling and talking, apparently on her cell phone as she drove.

"Didn't she strike you as strange? She's like a mini-Max, only a heck of a lot prettier and I don't think she plays the piano," Danny asked.

"What do you mean?"

"When I finished briefing her, her face completely blanked. I thought our visit was going to be a giant time-sucking waste. And then she asked to see the vic? Who wants to see a picture of a dead body? It's like she's Columbo, only without the cigar. This 'mysterious' woman who solves all of these cases by sensing the trends in the data, becoming 'one' with the case, or whatever. Like solving a case is very zen. It's just weird, that's all."

"Charlie said she was the best. She's not just an accounting professor. She's a mathematician, theoretical mathematics at that. I've worked with people like her before. And it's not like you don't have quirks." Steve looked ahead at the road, replaying the afternoon. She had quirks, yes, but there was something else… a strength that seemed almost equally countered by a deep, personal vulnerability. Steve found Julia to be puzzling yet intriguing. She wasn't his personal type, he reminded himself, although he couldn't deny that he found her stunningly beautiful.

Steve pushed a button on his phone, "Chin? What did you guys get at Metadyne?"

Chin's voice came on over the speakerphone, "Nothing much. We asked around, no one there recognized her. Most of their executive staff is away for a few days at a conference in Phoenix. Chase's secretary was there, but she wouldn't give us a copy of his schedule. We put in for a warrant, but it will take a little time. How did it go with the accountant?"

"Interesting, but we'll see. I need you to do a full profile search on Dr. Julia Abbott, maiden name Julia Reeve Somers, approximately 33 years old. Dr. Abbott is coming over with us now, so print out what you find and put it in a file. Also have Kono make a copy of everything we've found so far on Chase for Dr. Abbott to get started. We should be there in ten." Steve hung up.

"I still say she's odd. Pretty, don't think I didn't notice, but odd." Danny looked over at his partner. Steve's face was fixed firmly in a blank stare on the road ahead. Pretty, hell, she was gorgeous, Danny thought. And clearly higher on the IQ scale than Danny and Steve combined. Danny continued, "The whole herbal tea thing? And the way she looked at Jane Doe's picture? What was that about?"

Steve looked over at Danny, "She's just used to working in a certain way."

"Yeah, like someone else I know. I still say she's odd. She's like a savant, only a savant in three inch heels."

Steve smiled a half smile and looked at Danny.

"What? What is that look for?"

Steve continued to smirk. "I knew you'd notice. You always notice a beautiful woman, particularly her legs."

"Uh, excuse me, Mr. 'Why-don't-you-let-me-help-you-down-as-I-lift-you-with-my-big-manly-SEAL-hands.' I saw the way you checked her out. I wasn't the only one who noticed her or her legs." Steve grimaced at Danny's answer. "And don't make that face at me either. You and I both know that you know that I know that… whatever. You like her. You do."

"I don't 'like' her," Steve said, frowning. "I acknowledge that she's an attractive woman, and that she seems to be very good at her job. I appreciate that she's taking the time to help us on this case."

"Ri-i-ight. So you weren't thinking about breaking out a little Al Green with the good doctor when you were 'helping' her out? Hah."

Steve turned away from Danny to look back at the road, and cleared his throat. "We have a case, just so we're clear. Jane Doe, the Chases returning in four days, Metadyne, ring a bell?" Steve's tone made it clear that Julia was not up for further discussion.

Danny looked out the window with a small smile as they pulled into the parking lot at headquarters, "Whatever you say, Steven."


	9. Chapter 9

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: _Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me _

**Rating**: _T (for romance)_

**Pairing**: _Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)_

**Author's Note:** _More on Julia and Steve - need reviews and comments! Updated chapter_

Julia pulled into the Visitor's Lot at Aliiolani Hale and pushed the button to close the roof on the Mazda. She picked up a small brush to straighten her hair, stashed her sunglasses in the glove compartment, then quietly sighed as she felt the long day begin to take its toll. She should be headed home right about now, grabbing a shower and a bite to eat, but instead she was here at Five-0's offices to work on a case. This wasn't her life anymore. Teaching, advising, researching was her job, not solving a murder. Still, she couldn't get the dead girl's face out of her head. There was something about this case. Maybe it was just something about McGarrett. She didn't deny that he was incredibly handsome. But more than that, there was a gentleness to him, almost a gallantry, that captivated her. It had been a long time since she had been surprised by anyone, let alone a man, and she sensed that Steve McGarrett was full of surprises.

She turned off the engine and grabbed her cell. As she reached for the door handle, her breath caught. Steve stood there, opening her door, with a grin on his face. Damn, she thought, frustrated a bit by the surprise. He knows he's caught me off-guard again. Refusing to be frazzled by the commander's unexpectedly kind behavior, Julia coolly stepped out of her car and thanked him a bit curtly. She reached into the back seat to grab her briefcase before locking the car and slipping her keys and phone into the pocket of her briefcase.

Julia had driven by the building many times, but had never been inside. As they stepped inside the lobby, she looked around in admiration. Steve placed his hand gently on the small of her back as he guided her to the marble staircase leading to their offices on the second floor. Danny grinned as he noticed Steve's gesture, determined to give him serious flack about it later in front of the team.

Steve stepped ahead to open the glass door into their headquarters for Dr. Abbott as Chin and Kono looked up a bit warily from the smart table at the civilian. It had been a long and fruitless day chasing down leads that were nothing more than dead-ends, and no one was keen on babysitting a Ph.D. who most likely would just point out the obvious. Chin liked Charlie Fong and thought he was a good forensics expert, but he didn't see how bringing in an accounting professor would break open this case. Chin hoped he was wrong, but more often than not, his instincts were correct, in which case this would be a waste of time they didn't have.

"Dr. Abbott, this is Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly," Steve said as they came up to the table. Julia put her briefcase down on a nearby chair and shook Lieutenant Kelly's hand. "Chin," he said gently, and smiled.

"Please, call me Julia," she responded kindly.

"And this is Officer Kono Kalakaua," Steve continued. Kono smiled, shook Julia's hand and responded simply, "It's just Kono. A little easier to say." Julia was relieved. Pronouncing local names was still a challenge for her, and mispronouncing someone's name was one of her personal pet peeves.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." She paused, looking around the room and admiring the arched windows looking out over the city as the sun continued to set. "This building, it's stunning. I'm rather a fan of historical architecture, though I must confess, I don't know much about it."

"Oh, I doubt that very much," Danny joked. He glanced at Dr. Abbott to see how she'd react to his sarcasm.

She smiled, and laughed, "I guess by now you must think I am a huge nerd. I suppose I am. But that is why you asked me to come, right? I'll tell you what, I promise, no lectures on arcane accounting rules, audit procedures, or tax loopholes. I don't think there's enough coffee in the world for that," Julia deadpanned. The team grinned as a bit of the tension in the room eased.

Steve rubbed his jaw, the stubble reminding him of what a long day it had been. It wasn't so much the early morning call over a body that made him so tired. Steve was quite used to working long hours. He hadn't had a nine-to-five job since, oh, the summer after high school. What made today long was the realization that almost twelve hours after discovering the body, they still had an unidentified murder victim, no real leads, and the only persons of interest – the Chases - had airtight alibis.

"Kono, show Dr. Abbott what we have so far."

Kono started typing on the computer table, and brought up the file. She flicked some of the images up on to the flat screens. "So I understand Danny and Steve filled you in on the basics. Jane Doe washed up this morning around 4:30 a.m. at Pier 17 in the harbor. COD was a single gunshot wound to the forehead at close range. Ballistics were negative…." She paused as Julia started to walk up to the screens, peering carefully at pictures of the body.

"Detective Williams mentioned that there were no hits on facial recognition with DMV or NCIC. I'm assuming there was no match with ICE either, and nothing back from the standard BOLO. Did you try the State Department?" Julia asked, her eyes still glued to the picture of the dead woman.

"We don't have access to State Department records," Danny replied, watching Julia carefully. Had she been a cop at one point? It seemed strange that an accountant would know anything about the various databases that they'd use to identify a missing person.

Steve was thinking the same thing. Maybe Danny is right. How does Julia know about BOLOs and the NCIC? Yet she had a good point about checking passport records. "I'll call in a favor over at Naval Intelligence and see if they can run her image against State."

Julia steadied her breath but continued to look at the screen. She tilted her head slightly. "Her dress – someone mentioned it was couture?"

"Yes, but the designer doesn't have a boutique here, and none of the high-end shops in Waikiki carry that line," Kono continued.

"It doesn't look vintage. My guess it's relatively new. Since she didn't pass through Immigration to arrive here, that means likely she picked up the dress in either New York or Beverly Hills. Possibly Miami or Chicago, but I'd bet serious money that she's from Los Angeles. Do you guys have contacts with the police in Los Angeles and New York?

Danny answered, "Steve has a friend at NCIS in Los Angeles. I have good contacts in New York. We'll follow-up and send her picture over." Regardless of how she knew what she knew, Danny grudgingly admitted that Dr. Columbo here had some good ideas.

Julia stood silently looking at the pictures of the body for a moment longer, then turned to face the team. "I should get started. Can I get a hard copy of the articles on the Chases and Metadyne?" Steve nodded to Chin, who handed her a folder. "Mahalo."

"Let's get you settled. You can use my office while you're here." Steve picked up her briefcase, and opened the door to his office as Julia followed. Danny, Chin, and Kono exchanged brief glances of surprise. Steve rarely let anyone work in his office. Even when he had invited Jenna Kaye to work out of the Five-0 offices, she had camped out most of the time at the conference table near the smart table.


	10. Chapter 10

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Steve and Julia make a connection. I promise, there is much more romance coming for those who are fans (and who think, like I do, that H50 needs a lot more romance and shirtless Steve scenes!). We find out something very personal about Julia and Steve's response surprises himself. Enjoy! Updated chapter.__  
_

"Can I get you something to drink?" Steve asked, setting Julia's briefcase gently on his desk.

"Water would be great, thanks." Julia walked past Steve and looked around his office. An office was usually a personal statement of how someone saw himself professionally. Julia's office, with its books, papers, and projects, mirrored her professional image of an instructor, researcher, and writer. She kept very few personal belongings in her office out of habit. But Steve's office was a different story. She looked at the flags, the coins displayed behind his desk, the commendations, and the ship models. Steve was clearly proud of his history with the Navy, but as she looked around the room, she felt an overwhelming sense of honor, of expectations, and responsibility.

"The Arizona?" she asked, as she bent down to look more carefully at one of the ship models next to a folded American flag.

"Yes. That's my grandfather's flag. He was an ensign on the Arizona when the Japanese attacked. He's still entombed there," Steve answered, looking at the encased flag with a nod of respect.

Julia turned to face Steve, her eyes soft with understanding. "I'm sorry, Commander," she said quietly.

Steve cleared his throat and stepped behind the desk and turned on the desk lamp. He flipped open his laptop and typed in his password, then held the chair out for Julia, "We're informal here. Please call me Steve." Julia put down the case file on Steve's desk and sat in the leather chair. It smelled like him, she thought. Like a fresh, crisp breeze with just a hint of muskiness, a masculine scent that reminded her… She forced herself to refocus on the case, and slipped open her briefcase to pull out her ubiquitous yellow pad and a favorite pen.

Steve walked over to the mini-fridge and pulled out a bottled water, placing it on the desk for her. "My laptop has access to most of the databases you requested. I'll see about getting access to the IRS files, but we'd need to put in a specific request. They won't grant us unlimited access, even with the Governor's support."

"I know. They're persnickety that way. They aren't overly keen on letting just anyone pick through Jessica Alba's tax returns," Julia smiled.

"It's a good thing. Otherwise I'd never get Danny to focus on the case," Steve chuckled softly. "Is there anything else you need? You mentioned something about herbal tea."

Julia laughed lightly. "I'm fine, thank you. I was just kidding before about the tea, though I do drink it by the gallon at times. I get a little punchy after being inundated with undergraduates all day, particularly around midterms," she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Good, I think Danny would kill me if I brought herbal tea into the office, although I have green tea in the fridge. Feel free to help yourself," Steve nodded to Julia with his characteristic half smile.

Julia caught his eye and returned the smile. "Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you," she hesitated a moment, "a personal question?"

"Sure," Steve stepped back briefly toward his desk, looking at Julia who was already sitting in the midst of one of his most personal spaces.

"What's with the fish?" she asked, smiling and gesturing at the odd-looking bronze fish statue on the edge of Steve's desk.

"Oh that. It was my dad's. I don't really know where he got it from, but he always kept it on his desk at HPD. I think he got it from one of his fishing buddies, way back when."

Julia nodded pleasantly, "He's retired now?"

Steve paused a moment, quietly forcing the small lump in his throat to disappear. He stared into Julia's eyes with a steely, focused look. His back straightened unconsciously as Steve fell back into his years of training to avoid feeling the grief that still haunted him. "No. He was killed a little over a year ago."

Julia looked at Steve, at the emotions fighting behind the placid, professional face. She had stumbled upon something she hadn't intended to uncover, but yet was undeniably drawn toward it like a moth to a flame. She spoke hesitantly, softly. "I'm so sorry." She could see the pain he was in, despite how well he nearly hid it.

"In a strange way, it's because of my dad that I'm here. I agreed to lead up Five-0 so I could hunt down his killer and bring him to justice."

"And did you?" Julia asked gently.

"Yes," Steve said in a deliberate manner. He thought of Victor Hesse and Kouji Noshimuri dead, and of Wo Fat in prison. The intense and the all-consuming of his search for his parents' murderers was now over. But was his search for justice truly finished? His body tensed at the thought that perhaps Wo Fat was working at the behest of someone even more powerful. He couldn't be sure that he had, indeed, brought the killers to justice. He might never be sure.

Julia watched Steve carefully. She bit her lip, and started speaking so softly it was almost a whisper. "It doesn't change anything though, does it? He's still gone."

Steve looked at Julia in surprise, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to keep the depth of his grief buried. "How," he cleared his throat briefly, "how do you…"

Julia stood and walked to the front of Steve's desk. She could still smell his scent. His presence in the room was overpowering, making it nearly impossible for her to stay away from him. Looking in his eyes, the pain she saw there mirrored her own. Unable to maintain his intense gaze, she looked down and turned toward the window. Somehow, she found her voice again.

"My mother was a bond trader for an investment bank in New York," she started. Smiling for a brief moment, she continued, "She was so bright and talented. She _loved_ her work. As much as she loved us and was always there for us, she loved her work…" her voice faded and became a little hoarse. She shivered in spite of the warmth of the late day sun coming through the window, and rubbed her forearms absently. Julia paused, her eyes beginning to well. She stopped to compose herself, then continued in a quiet, steady voice.

"She worked on the 97th floor of Two World Trade."

Steve's stomach fell as he thought about that day, and the horror and grief he felt watching the Twin Towers collapse after the cowardly terrorist attacks. He walked up behind Julia and placed his hand softly on her shoulder. No wonder she understood. He thought of the strength and courage it must have taken her to live through an unbelievable loss. He stood there behind her, keenly aware of her pain as she fought to keep her emotions in check, not knowing what to say to her or what to do. Julia stared straight ahead, willing the tears to stay back. She'd already shared too much, asked too much, gotten too personal. She couldn't cry now. Not here, and not in front of Steve. She continued to look outside the window as she slowed her breath and tried to clear her mind of the sadness, grief, and guilt she felt every day over her mother's death.

Julia turned to face Steve, his hand slipping gently off her shoulder. "No matter what happens to the killers, regardless of whether justice is met or not, it's still a loss." She looked up into his face, the sadness of her eyes matched now by the determinedness and strength he'd seen earlier, her voice still soft with emotion, "They say that time heals all wounds, but it doesn't. It doesn't get better. You just… you just get used to it, that's all."

They stood there in the waning afternoon light, their eyes locked in a newfound respect for each other, neither wanting to turn away. Julia held her breath. She could feel the heat of his body painfully close to hers, yet still distant and apart. Her heart was beating so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Everything seemed magnified as they both became keenly aware of the powerful attraction pulling at them. Her cheeks flushed as his hand reached over to take hers, his thumb gently, absently stroking the top of her hand. Her eyes closed slightly as she let herself briefly give in to the sensations rushing through her body. She shivered and pulled away, stepping back from Steve and quickly removing her hand from his.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled as she returned to his chair behind his desk. "I should get, uh, started." She looked at him briefly, embarrassed by the emotions she rarely shared with anyone, let alone a stranger. Opening the file, she began to type furiously on the keyboard.


	11. Chapter 11

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Oh, Julia & Steve... so tempting, but she can't give in to her feelings... and neither can he? Hope you enjoyed the last chapter - we find out a bit more about Julia as Steve struggles to figure out why he is drawn to her. Updated chapter._

He had spent years of his life chasing and capturing terrorists, in a small part to prevent losses like hers. Was it her grief over the loss of her mother that he had sensed in her earlier at her office? Was that why her eyes seemed to be so much older than her years? He watched her working at his desk, avoiding his presence. Deciding he should let her focus on her work, Steve turned to quietly leave his office.

"Hey Romeo, how is our own Jessica Fletcher doing?"

His momentary distraction ended, Steve looked at Danny who was still working at the smart table. "Sorry, what? Who is Jessica?"

"Jessica Fletcher? Mrs. Fletcher, _Murder She Wrote_?" Danny sighed. "Novelist by day, murder investigator by night. Seriously, did you just sleep through the eighties?"

"No, but I generally didn't watch geriatric murder mystery shows like you, Matlock."

"Hey, hey, _hey_. Do _not_ bring Andy Griffith into this discussion. The man was a genius. Just because you do not know who Angela Lansbury is, or remember a show that was on for like twenty years, does not mean that you can pick on one of the greatest whodunits on television," Danny retorted, gesturing at Steve. "Besides, you just said that to avoid the question."

"What question? I was not avoiding a question that was never there," Steve said, a bit defensively.

"The question was, _Romeo_, what exactly was going on in there between you and our resident crime-solving accountant?"

"I have no idea what you mean. I got her a bottled water, started up my laptop, and she began working. End of story."

Danny looked at his partner warily. Steve might say it was the end of the story, but he knew him well enough to know that something she said or did rattled him, although he was impressed with Steve's Matlock comment. But who didn't at least know about _Murder She Wrote_? Clearly they would have to bone up on Steve's television knowledge. He wouldn't be surprised if Steve had never watched an episode of _Jake & The Fatman_ either.

Taking a breath, Steve asked himself the same question as Danny. What had happened in there? How did a seemingly innocent question by Julia get him so rattled? Why was did he still feel unsettled? He needed to find out more about her. "Danny, let's go talk with Chin."

Steve stopped briefly at Kono's office and tapped the glass, gesturing for her to join them. The two headed over to Chin's office and shut the door. Kono came in right behind them, joining Danny on Chin's couch. Steve stood stiffly in front of Chin's desk. "What did you turn up on Julia?"

Chin typed a few things into his laptop, and then turned it around for them to see as he stood. "Julia Abbott, Ph.D., born Julia Reeve Somers, April 5, 1978 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Mother is Lisa D'Ambrose Somers, father is Robert James Somers. Julia grew up in Katonah, New York and graduated from John Jay High School a year early. She graduated from MIT in 1999 _summa cum laude_ in Math, then went to Harvard where she earned an M.S. in Theoretical Mathematics in '01 and a Ph.D. in Accounting in '03. Needless to say, she's one smart lady."

The screen showed an archived article from the local newspaper of Julia beaming as someone presented her with a high school award. She looked much as she did today, only with her eyes bright and excited. Another article detailed her volunteer work with a local group for developmentally disabled children, and included a picture of the pretty young girl with her arms around a child with Down syndrome as they both grinned for the camera.

Chin turned the computer back for a moment, and began typing. He turned it back around and showed a New York Times article about of a middle-aged woman who resembled Julia. "Her mother was a bond trader who was killed on 9-11…" Chin started. The room fell silent. Chin continued, "She worked on the 97th floor of the South Tower. According to the article, she was able to leave a voicemail for her family after the plane hit. It mentions Julia briefly, stating she was in a doctoral program at Harvard at the time. She also has two older brothers, Erik and Jim, and a younger sister, Marie. Her father was a mechanical engineer for a small firm outside of the city." Chin glanced at his teammates, their faces somber as they remembered the thousands of innocent people lost that day, and the ripple effect that 9-11 had on the families and friends of the victims. He went back to the computer and typed a bit more.

Chin brought up a wedding announcement from the Times, showing Julia in a beautiful formal engagement portrait. "She married Peter Abbott, a biologist with NIH, in 2005. No details on where she was working at the time, but they lived in Falls Church, right in the middle of the D.C. suburbs. From there, it gets a more hazy, but her curriculum vitae that I got from her department website at U of H mentioned that she had worked for Bain Capital in Boston and the Brookings Institute in Washington before she came to the University in 2009."

Chin nodded to Kono to continue. "Her social media profile is lean – no pictures beyond the same profile picture that is on the University website, a few friends, no postings. The only thing I found in a Google search for her was a few hits on RateMyProfessors and other similar websites. Her students say she's strict and hard, but funny and sexy. Gotta love a job where students can say whatever they want about you on the internet," Kono chuckled.

Kono brought up a few articles on Chin's computer. "I also checked academic journals, and Julia has published several articles in the past four years, all way above my interest or understanding of the subjects. She was listed as a co-author on a few journal articles when she was in graduate school, mostly on accounting but some others on prime numbers and number theory. I asked one of my former math professors about her, and he mentioned that he knew her reputation for forensic accounting. At his suggestion, I tried to find a copy of her dissertation, which is almost always published, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Not that any of us would be overly interested in her doctoral dissertation," Kono smiled. "Still, if anyone has trouble sleeping, I could print off a few of her articles."

Steve leaned forward to look at the titles of the articles on Chin's computer, then stepped back and shook his head. It was beyond what he needed to know, that's for sure. No red flags, and she had the expertise to help them with this case. He didn't expect any surprises but there was something still that seemed a little … odd. Her record was almost too perfect, too consistent. Steve rubbed his brow and stepped back. I'm just being paranoid, he thought. She's got the qualifications, the knowledge, and her record is clean. Let it go, man. The problem was, he couldn't let it go. Something was nagging at him about Julia.

"Thanks, guys. Hey, Danny, can I use your office for a minute. Mine is otherwise occupied."

Danny deadpanned, "Occupied? So because you let Dr. Strangelove use your office, now I'm booted out of mine? What for?"

"What for?" Steve responded. "Really? Five minutes, brah. That's not too much to ask." With that, he nodded to Chin and Kono and left for Danny's office next door. Sometimes Danny could be just such a nosy pain in the… Clearing his head, Steve sat on Danny's couch and pulled out his cell. He should have made this call before they had headed over to the University to meet Julia.

"Hey, Cath. I need you look up two things." He listened to her distractedly. "Yeah, definitely, we're on for dinner next time you're ashore," he paused, as she went on a diatribe about how much he owes her, and how she could get into trouble for helping him off the record. "The first is a victim we can't ID, could you run her picture against State's passport records? I'm texting it to you now." He pulled the phone away from his ear, pushed a few buttons and sent the picture of Jane Doe to Catherine, then picked up the phone again. "The second," he stopped for a second, unsure if he should continue. Everything was clean, he thought. Chin and Kono are very thorough when they pull someone's file. But there was something bothering him about the whole thing, something that just didn't seem to add up. Steve decided his instincts were nearly always accurate. If he had reservations about Julia, he needed to resolve them, now. "The second is a deep background on Julia Somers Abbott, Ph.D., age 33. I have a feeling she was previously a Federal employee or in the service but I'm not sure what agency or branch."


	12. Chapter 12

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note:** _Thanks for the terrific feedback – please keep it coming! Julia's mystery is far deeper than this story will go, but you will find out some key things about her. There will also be a lot more "bonding" time for my two favorite characters and yes, repercussions with Cath (sorry Steve/Cath fans, but it should prove interesting!). To my Aussie fan, nope, I'm not Australian, but I am curious as to the pun in Julia's name? I have a personal reason for picking her name, nothing overly sentimental, just a fave of mine. Updated chapter!_

Steve was working at the conference table outside of his office. Periodically, he'd look up to see Julia flipping through documents, scribbling furiously on her pad, and then going back to his laptop. Steve felt powerless. He'd done everything he could. Danny had had no luck with his contacts in New York. Catherine had no hits on Jane Doe. The check on Julia would take some time, as Cath had to tread lightly when it came to an intelligence check. She had a friend who had a friend who would do the search… but any time you asked about a potential Federal or military employee, it had to be done delicately. He'd talked to Sam Hanna at NCIS, but he had been out on a case and said he'd run the check on the victim when he got back to the office.

"Pizza's here, such as it is," Danny announced, dropping the boxes of pies on the table in front of Steve's papers. "You want to tell Dr. Holmes, or shall I, Watson?"

"Funny. Only I would be Sherlock and _you_ would be Watson," Steve replied as he headed toward his office. Opening the door, he quietly stepped inside. Julia looked up at him, the long day showing in her eyes. "Hey. We picked up some pizza," he asked. "And maybe a beer?"

Julia stood up and stretched her neck from side to side, trying to rub some of the tension out of her shoulders. "I didn't realize how late it is, but yeah, I'm hungry. Pizza and beer sounds perfect. I'll fill you in on what I've got so far." She gave Steve a small, tired smile and followed him out to the bullpen.

Danny, Kono, and Chin were already helping themselves to a slice, as Julia joined in. Steve opened up a Longboard and handed it to her. She took a long sip and laughed a little.

Danny looked at her quizzically, "What's so funny?"

"Oh, just some silly trivia. I love this beer, but I found out recently that while Kona Brewery has a plant here on the islands, they also brew their beer in New Hampshire. I just think it's really funny that one of my favorite 'local' beers is made about 50 miles from where I went to college on the mainland."

They all let out a laugh. Danny smiled, "Yeah, that is pretty funny. I never even thought to look at a label. So let me ask you, as an off-islander and an expert analyst, what is your opinion of the best pizza?" Steve rolled his eyes a little as he prepared himself for Danny's lecture on the proper pizza toppings.

Julia picked up her slice, folded it, and took a bite, then a swig of beer. "I grew up outside of New York, so I'm biased, but the best pies are definitely in the city. I'm a big fan of Spunto in Manhattan, although Pepe's in New Haven makes a fire baked pie that is amazing. Let me guess, this is about the whole pineapple/ham pizza thing?"

Steve interrupted, "Danny has this notion that fruit does not belong on a pizza, just because in New Jersey they don't eat ham and pineapple on a slice."

Julia laughed. "We used to debate pizza toppings in my house growing up. My brothers are of the pepperoni persuasion. My sister is a veggie hound, and my parents were dead-set against anything other than mushrooms on a pie. To me, pizza should consist of dough and mozzerell."

"See, this is what I'm talking about! And sauce, of course," Danny added. "Finally, some support against this fruit-pizza tsunami."

"Nah, I'm actually a white pizza fan. Perfectly thin crust, hint of olive oil and herbs, and fresh mozz. Although in Rome, the pizza is thick crust, no cheese, and get this – sometimes has mayonnaise on it!" Everyone laughed as Danny made a sound like a cat hurling up a fur ball.

Steve watched as Danny and Julia went back and forth on the merits of different styles of pizza – Chicago, New York, Boston, London, Rome. He took another swig of his beer as he polished off another slice. It felt good to let go for a bit. The team needed a break. Hell, he needed a break. He stood back from the group for a bit and leaned up against the wall, smiling.

Danny was in the middle of the great pizza debate with Julia when he saw Steve step briefly away from the group. His partner still looked a bit haggard from the stress of the case and the pace they'd been keeping lately. But looking closer, he saw a glimmer in Steve's eye as Julia started to answer Kono's question on Boston pizza. So he was right, Steve did have a thing for the good doctor. Danny was actually glad. In spite of Julia's taste in pizza, she seemed like a good fit for Steve – smart, beautiful, and not easily steamrolled by Sargent SEAL. Steve needed something outside of the office to make him happy other than going to the shooting range or reading the latest _Guns and Ammo_, and if that was Julia, it would make Danny's life easier. And hopefully safer.

Julia looked over the Five-0 team and was briefly envious of Steve. While she loved her work, she didn't get a chance to work with a team like this, and she missed the camaraderie of working closely with friends. She looked over at Steve and gave him a small smile and a nod. He nodded back with his trademark lopsided smile that made her breath catch briefly, before stepping up to the table. Break time was over.

Julia picked up a napkin to wipe off her hands, set aside her beer, and began typing some commands on the smart table. "So I started to focus in on the Chases, and just as Kono found, nothing out of the ordinary. But there seemed something a bit odd. Doug Chase made about $3.5 million in ordinary compensation last year, according to his Hawaiian tax records, plus more for some pretty swanky perquisites, as well as cash from some stock options and stock grants. Yet when I looked at their total spend – across credit cards, cash withdrawals, bank transfers and checks – it seemed a bit low."

"Low? This guy has a couple of yachts, private jet, copter, and that seems low to you? Do you hang out with Robin Leach or something?" Danny countered.

"Champagne wishes and caviar dreams on my salary? I'm lucky to afford ginger ale and a plate lunch." The team laughed. "No, that's not it. It just didn't seem… complete. I ran a regression analysis comparing their spend by category to comparative income and wealth groups after estimating the Chases net worth, and added a breakdown of off-island and on-island comparatives."

"Regression analysis, Professor? Can you bring it down a notch for our friend here?" Danny asked, nodding with a grin to Steve. Steve, although he had aced statistics, truly did not know what Julia was talking about anyway, so he actually appreciated Danny's dig, in a way. A very small way, he thought, as he narrowed his eyes at Danny.

Julia noticed Steve's look at Danny, and tried to keep the smile off of her face. "Sorry, let me clarify. I created a model, based on typical spending patterns of families with similar income and/or wealth as the Chases, and looked at total spend as well as categories to see if there were discrepancies over the past five years. What I found was that five years ago, the overall discrepancies were small compared to the model with expected variations across categories – less spent in country club fees, more on cars, for example. Same with four years ago and three. Then last year, spending across all categories was way down – 40% lower than comparative families based on income, 70% lower than families based on wealth, on average. This year, very similar results."

"So they're cutting back. It's a down economy, even for the uber-rich." Kono offered.

"I don't think so. I took a look at their property tax records, and sure enough, they continued to add to their dominion of planes, cars, boats, and playthings. If they were cutting back, they'd trim in particular categories, like household staff and travel. The Chases are still spending, but they're spending less on everything, so much so, I don't think they are cutting back. I think they're hiding. On a hunch, I dug a little deeper and found something very interesting. Douglas Chase is using his 23-year old daughter Lia's identity. I found two accounts open in her name with Douglas Chase as an authorized user, billed to a P.O. Box on the island even though Lia lives in Los Angeles. The accounts had millions of dollars of purchases – including some serious jewelry - all paid for on time. I doubt she even has a clue about the cards."

"Where's the money coming from?" Steve asked, intrigued, his arms crossed as he watched Julia in action. He was rather impressed with her analysis and findings.

"All of the bills were paid by transfer from a single account, a numbered account in Bali. I can't find out details on the account without raising red flags that would alert the Chases and flush them out. Bali is a small island with about 4 million residents. I have no doubt the Chases are well connected there. An inquiry at the bank would give Mr. Chase the opportunity to destroy the evidence we need to tie him to our victim. I need some other way to get that financial data." Julia looked up at the team, with a small gleam in her eye.

"Like what?" Kono asked.

"Like a really good hacker with questionable morals. Know any?"

Steve and Danny exchanged a look and said one word in unison, "Toast."

"I take it that's a person not a program or food item. I may have an additional thing he or she could help us with," Julia continued, thinking ahead.

Steve's phone interrupted the group. They all fell silent as Steve took the call, nodding and discussing the case with someone. He walked over to the smart table and put his phone on it. The team got up and stood around the table.

"Hanna found our girl." He flicked a California driver's license photo up on the screen. The picture was a ringer for their victim. "Jennifer A. Warren, 1248 Canyon Ridge Road, Santa Monica. No other records. Kono?"

"Yeah, boss, I'm on it." Kono began typing on the board. Danny offered to call the address in California and follow-up, while Chin went back to his office to look for any known family to notify. Julia looked around as the team scattered, then went back into Steve's office to get started on Jennifer's ties to the Chases. They had a fresh lead, and she was going to do everything she could to find out why Jennifer had washed up dead that morning and who was behind her murder.


	13. Chapter 13

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Love the feedback – please keep it coming! Let me know what you like & don't like! Revised/updated chapter!_

Hours later, Steve breezed into his office and stood in front of Julia sitting at his desk. Warily she looked up. She looked exhausted but still professional. He smiled, and wordlessly reached out his hand to her. Taking his hand, she let him lead her around the desk and over to the couch where they both sat. Julia tucked her stocking feet underneath her as she leaned against the side of the couch.

"Jennifer was living here in Hawaii. We'll get her address when we call her landlord in the morning. Her parents are arriving from the mainland tomorrow morning as well. Hopefully, they'll be able to give us some more information as well as ID her body. You did a great job today, Julia."

She smiled, tiredly, and rubbed her eyes. "Thanks. I'm glad I could be of help. You have a terrific team here, but there is still a bunch more for me to follow up on. I've confirmed she was an employee at Metadyne in their marketing department based on her financials and her social media profiles. I want to comb through the company financials with a fine-toothed comb tomorrow, and I think I have a line on who owns the company, but they aren't making it easy on me."

Steve looked a bit surprised. "So you can come back?"

"Well, if you want me to. We haven't found her killer, or her connection to the Chases, and you've got just a few days to wrap this up. But if you want, I can go back to my research at the University – I've got an article due this month I haven't started, and grading to do…"

"No. I mean yes, if you can make the time for us, we could absolutely use you. But you should let Five-0 pay you for your time."

"It's not necessary, really, although I appreciate the offer. Besides, technically I am already paid by the State of Hawaii," Julia grinned, tiredly.

"Dinner then? I'd like to thank you somehow." Steve looked at Julia, sitting there exhausted and yet unwilling to accept even a stipend in compensation for her time and energy. Clearly she had better things to do than hang out at HQ searching through financial records.

Julia thought for a moment. It had been a while since she'd accepted a dinner invitation. Her life was complicated enough, and she really didn't need to bring more drama into it. But sitting next to Steve, she felt like laying her head on his shoulder and drama or no, just sinking into his whole Steve-ness. Great, now she's making up words. Clearly she was tired. "Dinner sound like a fair trade. But something other than pizza. Just don't tell Danny, he'd be insulted by my anti-pizza beliefs."

"Other than pizza it is. Right now we should get you home. Are you okay to drive? I could give you a ride home." Truth was Steve wasn't sure Julia had the energy to even walk to her car, she looked so small and tired on his couch. It was all he could do not to sweep her into his lap and hold her close, nuzzle her hair, and caress her soft cheek. Woah. Where did that come from? he thought. He steadied himself and tried to remain focused on the case.

"I'm fine, but thank you. I have an 8:15 lecture tomorrow. I can bump my graduate study group in the afternoon, and drop by around 10 if that works. Only this time I'll work out in the bullpen – you need your office back." Julia stood up, painfully slipped her shoes on to her swollen feet, and started packing up her notes.

"Danny and I are meeting her parents early, then we'll be in. But Chin and Kono will be here, and I'll have Chin grab another laptop from downstairs for you if that's ok."

"Tomorrow it is, then." Julia looked to see Chin's office light off, Kono heading out, and Danny waiting for the two of them. She reached out for Steve's hand and exaggeratingly hauled him up off the couch, laughing. "Come on, let's all go get some rest for now."


	14. Chapter 14

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Two chapters today! Please keep feedback coming! Let me know what you like & don't like! Updated chapter :-)_

Steve and Danny walked in to HQ on Wednesday morning, both quiet from their meeting with the Warrens. Jennifer's parents both had red-rimmed eyes from what had clearly been a sleepless, tear-filled overnight flight from L.A. After they had identified their daughter's body, the Warrens answered what few questions they could about Jennifer. She had been working for Metadyne as a regional sales manager for the West Coast for the past two years, mostly in the field coordinating with Metadyne's largest clients. They hadn't talked to her recently, but she had plans to come visit them for Thanksgiving next month. Jennifer's mother had been too upset to even talk, she had just sobbed in her husband's arms as he did his best to answer Five-0's questions. Just a month ago, Jennifer had moved to Hawaii with the promise of a promotion and a life in paradise, and now she was dead.

As they came through the main door, Steve was surprised to see Julia working with her back to them at the conference table, barefoot in faded jeans and a white t-shirt with her hair pulled back loosely in a ponytail, one bare foot tucked underneath her. God, she looks so cute, he thought. Chin, working in his office, nodded at Steve and Danny. They stepped into his office.

"I take it you had a rough morning with the parents?" Chin asked.

"Yeah, you could say that. It's the part of the job I hate the most. At least they already knew. LAPD informed them last night as soon as Hanna gave us her info. I can't imagine what I would do if I got that call about Gracie." Danny said, wearily.

Chin understood all too well. He'd had to tell families about the loss of a loved one far too many times to count in his years on the force. He'd been privately relieved that Steve and Danny wanted to meet with the Warrens when they arrived on the island this morning. "Thought you'd want to know, _she_ was waiting in the hallway when I arrived. At 6:30. I got her set up with a laptop, and she's been in a near fugue since then. But she might notice you." Chin smiled knowingly at Steve, who completely missed his slight tease.

Steve turned and headed out to see her. Danny raised a brow to Chin, who laughed. While Steve was focused on Jennifer's case, it was obvious to all of them that he was quickly becoming captivated with Julia. They had never seen him like this before, but it was a welcome respite to see Steve's intensity directed at a woman, instead of a suspect. Danny and Chin followed Steve, not wanting to miss the entertainment of watching this big, tough SEAL attempt to navigate his way around Dr. Abbott.

"Hey," Steve said quietly behind Julia. She nearly jumped out of her skin. She was so engrossed in her work that she hadn't heard him come out of Chin's office. Julia carefully stood up and stretched a bit. How long had she been here? She glanced down at her watch. A little over four hours, sitting in nearly the same spot. Her eyes were slightly glazed and blurry.

"'Morning. Tough start to the day, I imagine," Julia said as she slipped on her loafers, looking closely at Danny and Steve. She walked over to the coffee pot to pour herself a fresh cup. "How are her parents holding up?"

"Not well. They had a rough night. LAPD informed them last night right after we got the ID." Steve answered. He caught just a hint of the same lavender scent from last night. Even in jeans and a t-shirt, Julia looked incredible. The faded, low-slung jeans fit her perfectly, and the white shirt hung softly over her shoulders, loosely tucked into her petite waist. She sat on the table casually, her hands cupping the mug of hot coffee. "Sounds like you had a busy morning?" Steve asked.

Julia took a sip, thoughtfully, noting the tired lines around Steve's eyes. "Couldn't sleep," she shrugged. "So, I finally gave up and came in here. I cancelled my morning class. My students won't mind. They'll probably give me a point bump in my ratings for giving them a break," Julia continued, smiling. "Oh, there are homemade blueberry muffins over on the table. I have a tendency to bake when I can't sleep."

Danny's eyes widened noticeably as soon as the word 'muffins' came out of Julia's mouth. He and Steve looked at each other, and then proceeded to race full-force over to the table. Kono came out of her office just in time to see Danny and Steve elbowing each other over the large plastic container of muffins. Chin, Kono, and Julia all laughed at the sight of the two grown men fighting over baked goods.

"Uh, guys? Did you want to hear what Chin and I found at Jennifer's apartment? Or are you still gorging out on muffins?" Kono chided.

Steve wiped his mouth of crumbs with a little embarrassment, a slight blush rising to his cheeks, his mouth still filled with muffin as he mumbled, "Yeah, sorry. They're really good, by the way."

Julia swung her feet as she sat on the edge of the conference table while Chin grabbed a seat nearby. "We didn't find much there," Kono started. "No computer or laptop, files or other info. She had a pretty pricey wardrobe for someone her age, and a fair amount of expensive bling in her jewelry box. Are her parents well-off?"

"No," Julia answered. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. It's just that I pulled the Warrens' financials first thing this morning," she paused. "They live in a small house near Oxnard. That's a pretty working-class area. The address on Jennifer's driver's license was a two-bedroom apartment in Santa Monica, which she shared with a girlfriend from college. According to Jennifer's bank statements, she made about $85,000 a year plus bonus. A good salary, but not enough to justify shopping trips on Rodeo Drive. But I did find a number of flights between L.A. and Oahu over the past year on Doug Chase's hidden credit card, as well as charges from boutiques, hotels, and restaurants here in Honolulu and on the mainland."

"So he _was_ having an affair with Jennifer then," Danny answered. "Maybe she wanted more, and he had her killed, or the wife found out and hired someone to do the deed."

"I don't think so." Julia said carefully. "A few things still don't click. Why bind her hands and ankles, and then remove them before killing her? Why drug her and then kill her later? I think it was a hired killer, but I don't think it was done because of the affair. I think there's another factor here."

Steve's brow furrowed. Julia had a point. It had bothered him ever since the autopsy why someone had gone to such trouble for what should have been a simple kill and dump. This didn't have the signature of a crime of passion, or a strictly professional hit. "What are you thinking, then?"

Julia stood up and started pacing. "I was thinking about this all night. Then this morning, after I pulled her financials and connected her to Chase, I realized that the only way this made sense was if she was grabbed because of something she either knew or she had found."

Danny looked at Julia intently. "That's gotta be it. The killer removed her bindings to get her to do something – open a lockbox, or log on to a computer, something – and then after she gave them the information, she was executed. She must have stumbled upon something at work, or at the Chases' home." Looking at Steve, he said, "Didn't you find it odd that a West Coast sales director for a ceramics company moved to Honolulu just a month before she was killed? West Coast sales wouldn't be based here, not for the big box stores. Someone wanted her close to watch her and figure out what she knew."

Steve nodded. Danny's theory made complete sense. "So what did Jennifer find out that got her killed?"

"I have a thought on that too," Julia said as she reached for some of the papers on the conference table. "I started to look into Metadyne's records. Their financial statements aren't on file with the SEC since they are privately held, but I was able to look at their corporate card statements and telecom records. Nothing unusual was there. Is it possible to get a warrant to see their financial data?"

"Yeah, but wouldn't that tip off the Chases?" Chin offered. "He is the CEO, their corporate counsel would notify him of any warrants served on the company."

"When I mentioned a workaround yesterday, you said you knew of someone who might be able to hack into a few systems. With the right talent, we could take a look at the company records without anyone being the wiser." Julia continued. "Of course, I wouldn't want to recommend a course of action that might cause, uh, complications for you…"

Danny grinned. "I can see why Steve likes …" he paused for dramatic effect, watching Steve's face contort in discomfort, "_working_ with you. We're not exactly always by the book."

Kono nearly laughed out loud. "Yeah, you put that mildly. Besides, hacking into someone's financial system isn't at all like dangling a guy off of the side of a building."

Julia looked at the team questioningly, "I don't think I want to know. Actually, I'm sure I don't want to know. But I think it would be helpful to meet that hacker with questionable morals, if you think he can help with our, um, access issues. Besides, I'd like to confirm one other thing as well. I traced Metadyne's incorporation records to a holding company in Delaware. The holding company is owned in turn by a general partnership based in Bermuda. Unfortunately, Bermuda keeps their corporation and partnership records private. I think if we can find out who the partners are, that may help add to our list of suspects."

Steve and Danny looked at each other, then at the pile of muffins. "Actually, you might be just the person Toast would like to work with," Danny said, laughing.


	15. Chapter 15

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _As requested, one of my favorite characters. I loved Toast! I hope he returns in S03! Updated chapter :-)_

"Wow, man, these are really good. Do you have any more?" Toast asked Steve as he ate the last of Julia's muffins.

"Sorry, that's it. Toast, can you focus now?" Steve realized the guy knew his stuff, but he found working with him more than a little frustrating.

Julia reached over and gently touched Steve's arm, nodding her head for him to step back for a minute. She eased her chair next to Toast's, and leaned in toward him a little, her voice soft and silky. "Toast, let's just hop on over to the bank system in Bali and find out the owner of that account, okay?"

"You are really hot, you know? How about we drop these skanks and hang out a little, just you and me?"

"Toast," Julia looked into his eyes, flirting slightly, "Do this for me, and I'll see what I can come up with, 'k?"

Steve crossed his arms and grunted, earning him a look of mockery from Danny. Danny leaned over to Steve and said quietly, "Jealous?" Steve glared at Danny, who laughed aloud. Julia turned to glare at both of them. Trying to get Toast to focus was challenging enough without Steve and Danny making noises and gestures behind their backs.

"Oh, this is too easy. It's barely single-level encryption. Julia, you could totally do this on your own. Heck, even those two could've hacked this one. Here it is – the account belongs to Douglas N. Chase."

"Okay, that's one. So he was paying for the hidden credit accounts with money from his own account, but where is he getting the money?" Julia asked.

Toast typed a few more keystrokes. "I could work a little faster if I could take a gange break, you know. Just a short one?" Julia, Steve, and Danny all answered with a resounding "No!"

"Man, you guys are harsh. It's a good thing you brought the babe and the muffins."

"I tell you what, Toast. You get me the answers we want, and I'll come back, with more muffins and maybe, chocolate chip cookies? I'm a really good baker, you know. I also make killer _brownies_…" Julia said in a sexy, soothing voice.

Toast was picturing Julia in a frilly apron and not much more when she tapped his arm again to get his attention. He turned back to the computer, and typed a bit more. "Here. Nearly every two weeks, a wire transfer from an account at… Bank of Hawaii." The printer started to hum as Toast printed off the data.

Julia smiled as she recognized the account number. It belonged to Metadyne. She turned back to Toast, softly saying "That's great work. You're _really_ good. Now just two more things. First, let's take a look at Metadyne's financial system. Can you get me logged in as sysadm? I want to run a few queries."

"Don't tell me you know perl. Damn, girl, why are you hanging out with these two?" Toast said, almost leering at Julia. She was used to 'leveraging' her looks to get things accomplished, particularly with techies, but it wasn't something she enjoyed, particularly since she knew it was driving Steve up the wall. Interesting, though, that he was uncomfortable with her so close to Toast. He had to know Toast was very far from her type.

She hadn't told Steve the other reason she didn't sleep well last night. She kept thinking about him, his touch, his kindness, his soft voice. There was a part of her that was terrified of the intensity of the feelings she was developing for Steve. But there was a bigger part of her that couldn't resist his combination of strength and gentleness. This could be dangerous, she thought. Trusting someone, in her position, wasn't easy. Letting herself be open to someone… she didn't know if she could do that again. Yet she knew in a way it was already too late. She just couldn't stay away from Steve and couldn't stop thinking about him. She mentally refocused as Toast managed to log in as root into Metadyne's production server, and she proceeded to take the keyboard from him and begin writing some quick scripts, much to Toast's increasing admiration.

Danny signaled to Steve to step out for a minute, though Steve was reluctant to leave Julia sitting so cozily next to Toast. "What is up with you?" Danny asked, once they were outside.

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"'Fine' is a word that former SEALs should not be allowed to use. You could be sitting there with your arm half cut-off and you'd swear you were 'fine.' You know she's just sweetening him up to get him to help us."

"I'm aware of that."

"So then what's the issue, Steven?" Danny asked, looking Steve right in the eye.

"There's no issue. It just frustrates me to work with this dude, that's all."

"Right. No issue," Danny scoffed. "So when are you going to ask her out?"

"Ask her out? What, like we're in junior high?" Steve rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"You are acting a bit like junior high. Or maybe sixth grade. Just pull her pigtails already and ask her out on a date. Like a normal person. It's not like we don't all see it."

"See what?"

Now it was Danny's turn to roll his eyes. "Seriously? Steve, everyone on the team knows that you've had the hots for teacher ever since we left campus yesterday. And it's pretty apparent the feeling is mutual. I doubt the only reason Julia couldn't sleep last night was because she was thinking about the case," he said, smiling at Steve's discomfort.


	16. Chapter 16

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Please leave feedback – it helps me know what you like & don't like! Thanks for the awesome notes, especially from regular readers! I have more chapters written but need to see if there's an interest for the continuation. I just wrote the ending but am tweaking it - I think you'll love it. If I get enough feedback I will post the upcoming chapters more frequently. Thanks so much - you guys are great! Updated chapter!_

Steve was grateful when his phone began to ring, the caller ID showing Catherine Rollins. Ironic timing, he thought. Truth be told, he had no idea why he couldn't get Julia out of his mind. He'd also lain awake last night, replaying every minute with her, trying to figure out exactly how he'd gotten in this mess. After all, he was happy with his arrangement with Catherine. Cath was beautiful, smart, sexy, and didn't expect much from Steve. And she was phenomenal in bed. She understood him, and never pushed him for anything more than the time they spent together. They never talked about feelings, or relationships, or being exclusive. In fact, they rarely spent much time together outside of bed, unless it was work-related. He didn't want a relationship - if he did, he'd be in one. But still, there was something about Julia that had him thinking, just for a minute, what it might be like to really be with someone that he cared deeply about. Someone who, just maybe, cared deeply for him. For a moment, Steve felt almost… vulnerable. It was a foreign feeling, one he certainly didn't care for.

He turned away from Danny to take the call. He didn't blame Danny for wanting him to hook up with Julia – his partner had long been pushing him to be more 'sensitive,' and he supposed that wasn't all a bad thing. But being sensitive and vulnerable was not who he was. He had lived his whole life on his own terms, relying only on himself, and he'd gotten damned good at it. Although he had to admit, he'd gotten to rely on his team quite a bit during the past year and a half, and it wasn't all bad. His team was his ohana now, and he couldn't imagine not having them in his life.

"Hey Steve, sorry it took awhile to get the background check. You were right – Dr. Abbott was a Fed. From 2004 to 2008, she was a Special Agent with the Secret Service. I couldn't find out any other details; her service record was classified. Before that, she was in the private sector, working at Bain Capital in Boston. After leaving the Service, she joined the Brookings Institute before leaving in 2009 to teach at University of Hawaii. So are you going to tell me why you had me run an intelligence search on an accounting professor?"

"She's helping us with a high-profile case. I wanted to be sure she was clear. Thanks for helping with this, and with the victim search yesterday. We ID'd the girl and we're close to solving the case."

"Well, sailor, you can make it up to me when I see you in a few weeks. I've got a 48-hour leave coming up at the end of the month, maybe we can meet somewhere in between the Gulf and Hawaii for a little R&R? There's that great resort outside of Singapore with 24-hour room service..." Cath asked, suggestively.

"Yeah, okay. Depending on work, I might be able to get some time off. Thanks again, Cath." Steve said, a little distracted. It would be good to see her, maybe head out to Southeast Asia for a weekend getaway, he thought. But for some reason, the prospect of a weekend of non-stop sex with Cath didn't sound as attractive as it usually did.

He looked out over the hills outside of Toast's place and thought about what Cath had found out about Julia's background. Secret Service. She probably worked in their fraud enforcement division, but as a special agent, she'd still have had gone through the Service's full training. That explained her cop-like behavior, and the professionalism he'd picked up on when they first met. Why hadn't she told him? Didn't she trust him? Steve admonished himself briefly. They'd just met yesterday. How could she even begin to trust someone she barely knew? It was also odd that her service record was classified. Since he and Cath both had Top Secret or better clearance, they should have been able to find out more details. He couldn't help but think that even though he had uncovered Julia's Secret Service background, there was a still a great deal about her that he did not know.

Steve walked back in to Toast's place to see Julia chatting with the hacker as she typed rapidly on his computer. The screens were filled with text and numbers streaming by. Danny leaned against the wall, his face scrunched up as he tried to make out the details. He raised an eyebrow at Steve as he walked by, but Steve just caught his eye briefly before glancing at the screens. Julia turned around as she sensed Steve behind her and smiled.

"We've got him. Doug Chase has been embezzling from the company. He set himself up as a vendor in their financial system, and paid himself over ten mill over the past two years. We have regular, bi-weekly file transfers from Metadyne to his account in Bali. It's all here. Jennifer must have figured it out, threatened to report him, and was killed for it," Julia said, excitedly. She paused for a moment, and a troubled look came over her face. "There's only one problem."

"What's that?" asked Steve.

"I didn't find any unusual payments that would indicate a hit man, and we know he didn't do the job himself."

"Maybe he had another secret account?" Danny offered. "Or an accomplice?"

"No, I don't think there could be other accounts. We didn't see any transfers other than the bill payments going out of his account in Bali, and I don't see any other vendors or employees in Metadyne's records that may be fraudulent. Of course, to know for sure, we'd have to do a full audit, but that would take weeks. An accomplice, that's a possibility."

"As for the company's ownership, we couldn't find the records electronically. Unfortunately, we'll have to try something else." Julia tried not to feel defeated. Thieves like Doug Chase were often very clever in their efforts to hide their tracks, but sooner or later they made a mistake, and she would find it. She had to find it.


	17. Chapter 17

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

Disclaimer: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

Rating: T (for romance)

Pairing: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

Author's Note: _Wow! Thanks for the feedback everyone! It really helps me to know what is working (and what isn't) in the story. Msgemgem, good point about Cath. I don't plan to pick on her as much as some of the Steve/OC's do, but I do want to have her in at least one future story. I like the fact that she and Steve never really had a relationship and I think that will be a key part for him to realize later that what he has with Julia is so completely different. Plus I have some twists planned for future stories that she'll be a perfect part of – not as a foil, but… well, you'll have to just keep reading!_

_Lanteaddicted & francis2 – so glad you're into it. Please keep reading (and writing!). Jenni, romance is coming, I promise (hint: Ch. 18 – I'm working to make it hot!)_

_Thanks all for your comments and support! I just updated and reposted all previous chapters - some changes, some fixes, some tweaks. It all makes it more cohesive because... I've finished the story! I will roll out chapters as quickly as I can - just promise me you'll give me feedback? Thanks!_

They had enough to arrest Doug Chase for embezzling and identity theft, but no one at Five-0 thought they should risk a warrant until they found his accomplice or the link between him and Jennifer's killer. Chin was working on Jennifer's cell phone and home phone records, tracing particular dates and times of her calls to Doug Chase. They discovered that Jennifer was at a fundraiser the night she was killed. Kono and Danny left to talk with the catering staff for the event and see if they could find out if Jennifer had left with anyone.

Julia was determined to find out who the owners of Metadyne were, but the partnership files in Bermuda were not online. She wracked her brain trying to think of another way to find out the ownership of the company. The only solution she could think of was to request the partnership returns from the IRS. Steve had put in the request through the Governor's office, but it would take some time, time they didn't have.

Steve was in his office when he heard Julia drop a few key curse words as she slammed down the lid of the uncooperative laptop. He came out to find her pacing around the room. Wordlessly, he stepped in front of her, crossed his arms, and smiled his half-grin. She looked up at him with fire in her eyes. He knew it wasn't directed at him, but still, the fury and frustration she showed was nearly overwhelming. Her passion for her work made him want to smile. There was something unbearably adorable about this small, brilliant spitfire that he couldn't keep out of his head.

"Julia, you've done what you can. We have to see if the other leads pan out," Steve said, calmingly.

"But what if they don't? You know these fundraisers - they're huge, and it's doubtful the staff would remember the killer, IF he was there, IF he made a mistake, IF he didn't slip out a back door. The IRS files are a long shot at best. There's got to be another way. There has to be," Julia spoke in a controlled tone, not wanting to direct her anger at Steve, yet unable to keep her frustration and exhaustion from creeping in.

"You need a break. You've been going non-stop at this for two days. You've barely slept, hardly eaten… you should head home. Let us take it from here. You've done a great job helping us get this far. We'll take it over the line."

"You have less than 48 hours to dot all of your i's and cross your t's. There's no time for a break. If your case isn't rock solid by the time the Chases get home, Jennifer's killers will likely go free. We both know that. I appreciate your offer, I do, and I recognize that this is your job, not mine. But I'm invested now. Jennifer is counting on us, she's counting on me, for justice. Sleep and a break will come later. Right now, I've just got to figure out how to find the person who hired her killer, and what they were after. It's there, it's so close I can taste it, but I can't figure it out for some reason." Julia said in desperation. She was so frustrated and weary, she could barely keep her thoughts straight.

Steve paused, looking at her carefully. "Do you trust me?" Steve asked, looking into her eyes.

Where was this coming from? she thought. "Yes." She did trust him, although she wasn't entirely sure why she should.

Steve took her hand and led her out of HQ. "Where are we going?" she started to ask. He stopped, grinned at her, and just continued. It wasn't like her to quietly follow a man she barely knew, and yet there was a powerful side to Steve that she found incredibly enticing. For some reason, she wanted to let him take care of her, although she didn't fully understand why. She fell silent as they descended the stairwell and left the building. Steve walked over to his truck and opened the door for her. Gently, he helped her into the cab, his hands lingering briefly on her tiny waist, before walking over to the other side and climbing into the driver's seat. As she watched him start the truck, she could still feel his hands on her waist, and a small smile crept across her face. What was happening to me? she thought. This was so atypical of the professional, no-nonsense way she approached her work and yet, she found the new sensations incredibly appealing. And tempting.

She thought about asking him again where they were headed but thought the better of it. As they drove in silence, she leaned her head against the side of the truck and closed her eyes briefly. She was so tired. It was a weariness, really. Frustration and dead ends did that to her. As much as she could handle long hours and endless analysis, when she was personally invested in the outcome, she couldn't help but feel emotionally drained at any major setback. It was one of her greatest faults. She should be more professional, she should be able to keep going - and truth be told, she could, usually. She had been trained from an early age to continue going regardless of how she felt, how tired she was, or how desperate the situation had become. But she hadn't been trained for someone like Steve.

When Steve treated her gently, when he cared for her, a part of her seemed to melt. It was easier when she could stay detached from her co-workers and be wholly focused on the task at hand. It was times like that that she felt fully in control, like a computer crunching numbers and seeking patterns. Sure, she kept a friendly, funny exterior going, but inside, she thought of herself as a machine. That was part of the job, it always had been. Heck, it's why she had been recruited in the first place. Giving into her emotions was a very dangerous proposition on many levels.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ring of a phone - hers, this time. Looking at the caller ID, she took a breath, and then picked up reluctantly.

"Julia here. Yes, hello," she paused, listening to the caller. Why was he calling her now, of all times? "I see. I'm not surprised, it was expected. Well, I'm a bit busy at the moment - I'm helping Five-0 on a time-sensitive case. I'll have to talk to you later, but I appreciate the heads-up. Everything is fine. It all came back clean, as I knew it would. I'll be in touch later in the week. Goodbye."

"Sorry about that," Julia apologized to Steve.

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes, that was just my department head. He wanted to check in and see how some of the graduate research projects were going. It's nearly the end of the term, so he's getting a bit nervous. Truth be told, he can be quite a pain," Julia forced herself to laugh casually. She had expected the call. She knew this would happen, and it really was not a big deal. Yet for some reason, she felt a little… disappointed. She knew she shouldn't feel anything, that it was just routine, but there was an aspect of it that surprised her in an uncomfortable way.


	18. Chapter 18

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note:** _Thanks so much for the feedback - and for the new readers! I'm releasing back-to-back chapters today, including the long-anticipated Ch. 18 where we get our first romantic encounter. Please let me know what works/what doesn't about this scene. I've re-written it more times than I can count. I also went back and rewrote/reposted all of the earlier chapters as I wanted to incorporate more of Steve & Julia's attraction and tension into some of the scenes. I hope you like it as much as I LOVED writing it! Thanks!_

They pulled up to a small outcropping overlooking a beautiful valley. Steve rummaged around for something in the truck bed, and came around to open the door for her and take her hand. He guided her to a beautiful old tree with a perfect vista of the setting sun where he proceeded to lay out the blanket he'd retrieved from the back of the truck. He sat on the blanket, reached up for her hand, and gave Julia a goofy grin that gave her stomach a flip. Looking at him, at the view, and his thoughtfulness, she couldn't resist. As much as she wanted to stay tight, controlled, and focused, her exhaustion and frustration coupled with Steve's incessant kindness was winning her over.

She sighed, and sat down next to him, looking at the view. In the distance she could make out a small group of birds take flight. The setting sun was still warm, and she tipped her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth on her face and neck. She exhaled and the stress of the day slowly started to dissipate. She felt Steve's soft hands on her neck, gently kneading the tensions away as she let her head tip forward. She eased into his caresses as her breathing deepened. He had a way of making her forget time and place, leaving everything behind except the deepening desire she had for him. The intensity of her desire frightened her, and reflexively she flinched at the thought. Steve felt her flinch, stopped, and shifted so he was sitting in front of her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, searching her now-open eyes. He didn't mean to make her uncomfortable, he didn't even think before he had instinctively reached to massage her weary neck and shoulders after she had sat down. He wondered if he'd crossed a line, if he had misread the flirtations and smiles between them, if he'd gone perhaps a bit too far.

Julia looked at Steve, his brow furrowed and his intensely blue eyes watching her with concern. This could be complicated, she thought. Complicated and dangerous for _both_ of them. Yet she couldn't help herself as she reached up to gently run the back of her index finger across his stubbly cheek. All of the emotions of the past two days began to catch up to her. She leaned forward, still locked into his gaze, only now her eyes were soft with a jumble of feelings that she couldn't put words to.

Steve's eyes shifted to her soft, full lips. He felt his breath catch. This wasn't his intention. He hadn't brought her up here to kiss her. He had just wanted to help her change her perspective and take a much-needed break. She was tired and worn-out, but she looked so beautiful with the setting sunlight softly reflecting on her face and shoulders. He shouldn't do this. He shouldn't take advantage of this moment, but like Julia, he felt unbearably drawn to her. When her hand touched his cheek and she leaned gently toward him, all he could think about was her lips, and how sweet she would taste, how small and yet strong she would feel in his arms, and how much he wanted her more than he'd ever wanted anyone before. It seemed impossible, illogical, how much he thought about her after having just met her. He felt almost dizzy with emotion, a new and uncomfortable feeling for him, and yet he didn't care. Slowly he leaned forward, lifted her chin gently, and kissed her softly. His lips barely touched hers, sending shockwaves of tension and desire throughout their bodies.

His lips lingered on hers, as her hand moved from his cheek to his hair. He deepened the kiss, hesitantly at first, and then as she opened her mouth to his, his tongue gently and eagerly sought out hers. He gently pulled her close to him, his mouth still on hers, his arms wrapped around her small figure. She felt so right in his arms, fitting perfectly as he held her and kissed her with just a hint of the incredible urgency he felt. Her hands grasped his muscular shoulders, as whatever doubts and worries of relationships and risks left their minds. They became entangled in one other, their mouths crushing against each other, their kisses increasingly passionate and desperate as their hearts raced and their bodies reacted instinctively.

Julia melted in Steve's arms, her fingers softly tangled in his hair as she reveled in his touch, the passion of his kiss sending chills through her body. She moaned softly as his arms drew her in even closer, her breasts aching as she pushed them up against Steve's broad, muscled chest. Their kisses became harder and more intense, his tongue inviting her to follow him deeper and deeper into a lost mess of emotions and passion. She wanted him, wanted all of him, and for once abandoned all logic and thought as she began to give in to her overwhelming desire. As she reached up to pull him even closer, her shirt became untucked, and his hands quickly found the warm small of her back. His touch set off a fire in Julia's belly as the warmth spread irresistibly throughout her body. She rubbed the back of his neck, her fingers slipping under the edge of his shirt, wanting to feel more and more of his soft skin. His mouth was deliciously soft. More than anything at that moment, she wanted to feel every inch of him against her, to know every part of him.

Steve reached up to touch Julia's hair, still pulled back into a loose ponytail. He gently grasped the ponytail holder, releasing her chestnut curls around her face and into his hands. He ran his hands through her silken hair, as he caught once again the sweet scent of lavender. A quiet moan escaped his lips as Steve felt his body respond to Julia's, his stomach flipping while her lips devoured his. As much as he wanted to continue to fall deeply into their mutual passion, he knew he could not. He didn't want to hurt her. She had been through so much, and right now she was vulnerable and raw from the past two days. His body ached to be with her but this time his mind won out, reminding him that she trusted him, that he cared for her, and that he had to rein in their passion for now. He reached up to brush her hair gently away from her face as he forced himself to pull back from their passionate kiss, his heart still racing.

There would be other kisses, other moments. At one point too, he hoped, they would both be able to fully unleash the intense feelings within themselves. Soon. That release would need to come soon, his body reminded his mind. He wanted that intensity and release so badly at this very moment, but for now, they needed to wait. He nuzzled her hair, his cheek gently caressing hers as he closed his eyes for a brief moment. He wanted to remember this feeling, the warmth of her face, her silky chestnut hair, the subtle yet intoxicating scent of lavender, the feel of her lips and the way her body fit in his arms. He inhaled deeply, then, smiling softly, pulled back to look into Julia's beautiful hazel eyes.

Julia looked at Steve, his face reddened with the effects of their incredible kiss. She fought to slow her breath, to let her mind catch up with the overwhelming urges coming from her body. It had been a long time since she had let herself feel the mysterious mix of emotions that had been briefly unleashed. She knew one thing for certain. She cared deeply for this man, deeper than she'd cared for anyone in a very long time. While it made no sense to her, given she'd only known him for such a short time, she knew that she was drawn to him, that she wanted nothing more than to give herself fully and completely to him. Yes, this was dangerous territory, but deep inside, Julia didn't care about the risk.

She reached up and softly kissed him once more, her face lingering as she nuzzled his cheek. His arms wrapped around her again, as she laid her head gently on his shoulder. She gave in and kissed his neck one last time, knowing that there would be another time…that there would be many more times with him. But at this moment, in the beauty of this overlook, they held each other and reveled in the myriad of emotions and sensations they both felt.


	19. Chapter 19

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note:** _Thanks so much for the awesome feedback – especially the details on what you liked/didn't like. I'm really glad you all connected with the steam from Ch. 18 – there's still more steam to come, though this is just the first story in a series. The next story will explore how things change when they return to "normal" life – as normal as their lives can get… and Julia still has quite a back story that will eke out from time-to-time. For those not a big fan of Catherine, I can promise you her character becomes very important in a future story I'm sketching out – and not for the obvious reasons (jealously, etc.). But her brief appearance in this story is complete. _

_As for the comments on ratings, I tweaked a few references and I think I'm solidly in T ratings, but if you think I'm not, please let me know what I should do to dial it down. I think M is more explicit and I don't want to unfairly label this story with that rating (though I'm considering story 2 to possibly need that rating, LOL!). Thanks again and please keep the feedback coming!_

Chapter 19

Steve gently sat back, his hand reaching for hers as he absently caressed her palm. He looked down at her hands, trying to put the emotions he felt into words, but that was not a skill he possessed. He had made a life of ignoring emotions, and now they were flooding his mind with possibilities that scared and excited him at the same time. Resolved, he looked up at Julia's hazel eyes and her long, dark lashes. "I didn't... I didn't bring you here to..."

"Kiss me?" Julia smiled teasingly. "It is a romantic spot, you know." Seeing the discomfort and angst in Steve's face as he clearly did not want to take advantage of her, she placed her left hand gently on his arm and rubbed it softly. "I know. You don't need to explain anything," she paused, hesitant. She didn't want to do this, now or ever, but she needed to. Julia regretted bringing the subject up now, but she had to tell him. Clearly something was going on between them, something unexpected but not unwelcome. It wasn't fair to Steve to continue without at least explaining the very little about her background she was permitted to share. Besides, she had no choice in the matter. She needed to do some damage control before he began to suspect anything, before he told anyone what he had found out. There was no easy way to do this, she thought. Gently taking her hand off his arm and resting it on his hand, she looked into his eyes and started, "I thought you brought me here to ask me something."

"Ask you about what?"

"About why I left the Secret Service."

Steve was stunned, and stared at her with his brow furrowed. "How did you find out that I knew?" he asked, his voice low and deep. He had just found out. How could she possibly know?

"I expected that you'd do a full background check on me before you let a civilian have access to highly confidential databases, regardless of a colleague's recommendation. And given your tenure in Naval Intelligence, you wouldn't have done your due diligence if you hadn't requested an intelligence check as well." Julia smiled gently as she let that tidbit sink in.

Steve was slightly shaken. This was an unexpected complication. "You pulled my file - my intelligence file? When? Why?" The romantic feelings he had been coming down from were now completely replaced by a sense of violation, of being used. What sort of game was she playing? Was she using his feelings against him?

Julia watched his face change from the soft expressions of their kiss to his hard SEAL game face. Inwardly, she cursed her job that made her do this to him. She blamed herself for letting her guard down, for beginning to care about him. It would have been much easier if she'd stayed professional, if she'd never gone down this path. It was too late for that, however. She'd already opened up to him, and now she had to ensure that her secrets remained private.

"Yesterday, as we drove from the University to your office, I did a full check on your team. With my experience and knowledge, I have to be very careful with whom I help, and I have to be even more careful about who knows my background. If someone came to me under false pretenses, it could be an extremely dangerous thing. I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't check everyone who came to me for assistance. It's unfortunate, but it's part of the job," Julia answered, professionally.

She continued carefully. "I also wanted you to know that there won't be any backlash or repercussions for you, or for Lieutenant Rollins. You were both doing your jobs, I know. But you cannot tell her about this conversation."

Steve bristled at the mention of Cath. Julia was able to trace back a delicately placed intelligence check right back to Catherine and then to Steve - what else did she know? He searched her face, unable to read her emotions. He quickly put two and two together. "That call, from your department head, it wasn't from anyone at the University. It was your contact in intelligence, letting you know about the check we'd run."

Julia was impressed that Steve picked up on that, particularly since her cover story had seemed effective at the time. She'd have to note that for the future. "Yes," she stated simply, searching his eyes for the connection they'd had just moments before, but finding it gone. His face and tone were angry, not that she could blame him. She had felt a bit angry too when she found out he'd run a check on her, even though she had expected it. Although justified, it had felt like a violation of her personal trust, and she knew he probably felt the same way. "It was my contact inside letting me know that my name had come up and verifying that all was clear. Being an alumna of the Service has its costs, and its benefits. Anytime my name comes up in a routine or otherwise search, I get a notification. It's for my own security, as well as for ensuring that my work with the Service remains confidential."

"Is that why you didn't tell me?" Steve's voice sounded hurt from her lack of honesty. This was the hard part, she sighed. As much as she wanted to be fully open with him, there were things that she'd never be permitted to tell him, things that were too dangerous to even speak of. She hoped someday he'd understand that, particularly since he was a former SEAL. The best thing she could do right now, in this moment, was to bury her own feelings of distrust and be as open as she was permitted to be. It wasn't ideal, but it was the most that she could do for him. She closed her eyes briefly, shaking her head almost imperceptibly at the frustration she felt at the limitations of the job.

Steve watched Julia, and as effective as she was at hiding her emotions, he saw a glimpse of her frustration and helplessness. He tried to put his own personal emotions aside and focus on the situation as a professional. His mind was fully in work mode now, as he tried to read beyond her words. Her story made perfect sense on the surface, but there was something else. He had worked with former intelligence operatives before who were less secretive than Julia. What else was she hiding from him? What was she so afraid of?

"Part of the reason I didn't tell you is that when I joined the Service, we were urged to be discreet, to keep information on our roles as close to need-to-know as possible. My immediate family knows, as well as a few of my close friends in D.C. and London, but none of my colleagues and friends here in Hawaii are aware of my tenure at the Service. The work that I did for them - very similar to the work I'm doing now for your team - put me at odds with some very dangerous people. The quieter I keep my background, the safer I am able to stay." She paused, looking at the undeniable hurt in Steve's eyes, as her voice softened. "I never meant to keep things from you. I had just hoped to wait a little longer before reading you in, at least reading you in as much as I would be permitted to do so."

Steve felt his disappointment and anger fade a little as he realized her arguments made sense. After all, how many people knew Steve had spent almost half of his career in Naval Intelligence? It was easier to keep it quiet, rather than risk questions that he would not be able to answer. He understood need-to-know. He just wasn't used to it interfering with his personal feelings.

"I hope you'll be able to forgive me. Realize too that we just met, and I'm used to being a very private, self-reliant person. It's hard for me to trust or count on others. I'm working on it," she smiled, her eyes hopeful, "but it will take me a little time."

Steve left her gaze and looked out over the view for a minute, trying to process all of this information. He turned back, his face unreadable. "So why did you leave the Service?" he asked, warily and with great uncertainty.

Julia sighed. It was a complicated story, with more that she needed to share, and she didn't have the strength to open up to him about it just yet. She half smiled, a bit wary herself, as she wrapped his hand in hers. Looking up into his eyes, she started, "That's a story better shared over a few margaritas. Maybe then you can also tell me why you switched to the SEAL team."

Steve smiled briefly. She was right, in a way. They both had secrets to share, but couldn't just yet, and perhaps would never be able to fully talk about. He had seen and experienced very painful times that he had filed away. He wasn't sure he'd ever be able to share them with her, even though it seemed that she probably had a higher security clearance that he did, which said quite a bit about what her role must have been. A part of him was still upset with her for keeping all of this from him. He knew he should be more forgiving, but he was hurt at her lack of trust in him. He had a lot to think about – his growing feelings for Julia, the new revelations about her work and her background, and this sense he had that he still knew very little about her. He felt confused and frustrated about his conflicting emotions, as he looked down at their hands and felt her soft, small fingers wrapped around his.

"There is something else I want to tell you..." Julia started, as Steve's phone rang and interrupted them.


	20. Chapter 20

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note:** _A huge thank you to Cokie316 for being my first beta reader & advisor. She caught so many errors – big and small – and helped me tighten up the story. Thank you also for all of the reviews – please keep them coming! Based on interest I may be starting the second story in this series – so tell me what you'd like to see in it. Oh, and big reveal in the very last chapter, which will be coming soon. I've been rewriting it and I think it's really coming along. Mahalo!_

Steve looked at the caller ID briefly before putting Julia's hand gently aside and answering the phone. "Danny? Did you find something? I've got Julia here with me, I'm going to put you on speaker."

"Hey, where are you guys anyway?" Danny asked. "I checked at HQ but only Chin was there, said you two had disappeared a while ago."

"What did you find, Danny?"

"Fine, avoid the question but you know I'll find out. Hello, Julia."

"Hi Danny. We're waiting with bated breath. Please tell us you got a lead from one of the staff at the fundraiser?"

"Even better, we've got a sketch. Chin ran it through facial recognition and the guy has a record. Akamu Lenola. Two stints at Halawa, one for armed robbery, the other for assault with a deadly weapon, paroled six months ago. He's a two-striker, so he's likely going to run like mad. Chin pulled his address from the DMV and his parole officer confirmed it's current - 245 Leowahine Street in Waipahu, unit #103. He missed his last two check-ins, so his P.O. gave us permission to haul him in regardless of what we find."

"We're only about five minutes from there. We'll meet everyone there. Be careful."

"Be careful? With you and guns a-blazing? Lenola is only about half as dangerous as you, Steven. You still didn't answer my question about where you two are."

"See you there in five."

Steve helped Julia up, tossed the blanket in the back of the truck, and pulled out his vest, strapping it on. Julia looked at him expectantly, her eyebrow raised. "You're _not_ coming on this one, Julia. In spite of your experience, you're still a civilian now, and it's far too dangerous. Wait in the car while we go in."

"I'm not waiting in the car without at least a vest. I assume you have an extra?" Steve pulled another vest out of the cab holder and handed it to her. As Julia expertly strapped it on, she opened the door to the cab and cursed. "Damn!"

"What is it?"

"I left my purse at the office. I can't believe I did that! It's such a foolish thing to do."

"It's not like you need your wallet right now. What's the problem?" Steve asked, looking impatiently at Julia.

"My side arm is in my purse. I'm unarmed. Damn it!" Julia was frustrated. She should never have put herself in this position. She knew far better than that. She had been distracted and tired, and that's when she made mistakes. Mistakes that could wind up with someone getting hurt, or worse.

"You _don't_ need a weapon," Steve sighed. He didn't have time for this right now, and with what she had just shared with him, he wasn't in an overly generous mood with her.

She heard the irritation in his voice. He has a right to be annoyed, she thought, but that didn't change the facts. Julia looked at him, giving him a sly grin that made his stomach flip. "Steve, would _you_ wait in the car while a team stormed in to a potential killer's apartment without at least a backup weapon?"

Steve thought for a minute and realized that not only would he'd never wait in the car, but also that he was never unarmed except when he went for a swim or a surf. He grudgingly admitted she had a point. Regardless of his feelings, she had a right to protect herself. He reached past her into his glove compartment and handed her a Glock 33 in an ankle holster. "It's got quite a kick. Can you handle it?" he asked, warily.

Julia smiled knowingly at Steve as she reached into his truck to retrieve a half-filled water bottle. Walking about 50 feet, she placed it on the stone wall, stepped back to the truck, checked the ammo, dropped the safety, and fired a single shot holding the weapon with one hand, the recoil barely registering. Steve watched her shot knock the bottle off the wall, and as she chambered the weapon and returned the safety, he went over to pick it up. A single hole centered directly in the center of the small neck of the water bottle. A brief smile flickered across his face. He was still confused and upset about the news she'd shared with him, but damn, she was a hot shot in more ways than one.

"We'd getter get moving," Julia stated with a grin as she climbed into the truck. She fastened the holster to her ankle under her jeans, and clipped the Glock into place. "By the way, I was the top sharpshooter in my SATC class, 195 on my last qualification. It's all math, you know."

Starting up the truck and pulling rapidly out of the parking spot, Steve grinned in spite of himself. As much as he still wasn't sure what was going on with Julia, he had to admit that her cockiness was rather, well, attractive. And tempting. He looked over at her wearing the tac vest, remembering the feel of her curves underneath. She gave him her sly grin as she pulled her hair into a low bun. He looked back at the road, his mouth a bit dry as he thought about how her hair had felt in his hands. He cleared his throat before looking back at her. "We may have to have a little shooting contest when all of this is over. SEALs aren't exactly slouches when it comes to marksmanship." Julia looked at him and chuckled. "What? I'm sure you already know, but I'm double ranked in shooting."

"Yeah, I know. Expert Rifleman and Expert Pistol medals. Very impressive. But you know who the Navy comes to for marksmanship expertise. I'm just sayin,' it's not as though the Secret Service just chases down baddies. There's the little factor of protecting POTUS. _But_ anytime you want to throw it down, babe, I'm game," she grinned at him. She did miss this – not the action, not really, but the camaraderie and the teamwork. She also missed being a woman working with macho men. It was rather fun to challenge them, particularly when they made the mistake of thinking of her as just being this little sexy thing. It was an advantage Julia had long enjoyed over some of her male colleagues, not to mention her enemies.

As he continued driving to Waipahu, Steve realized Julia had been about to tell him something before. "What was it you wanted to tell me, before Danny called?"

Julia cleared her throat briefly. "Now's not a good time." She looked at him carefully, but thankfully he seemed to be already thinking about apprehending Lenola. "I'll fill you in later, I promise," Julia said.


	21. Chapter 21

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Thanks for the continued support, reviews & comments! I've started the next story and will post the remaining chapter of this one. I think you'll like the end - a number of key questions are answered, but there's still a lot unsaid :-) This chapter I hope will be a bit of a game-changer... let me know what you think! _

_Thanks again to Cokie316 for her help in editing and reviewing the story!_

Steve and Julia pulled up quietly outside the entrance to Lenola's apartment complex. Danny and Kono were already there, and Chin was driving up in one of the SUVs.

"What's she doing here?" Danny commented, looking at Julia sitting in the truck wearing the tac vest, her window open.

"Hi Danny, nice to see you too. Why thank you, I'm doing well. I appreciate your asking," Julia retorted sarcastically.

"I didn't have time to drop her off at HQ. She's going to stay in the car while we go in and pick up Lenola. Is he home now?"

"His P.O. said he's not working, and that's his car there," pointing to the beater that was boxed in by their cars. "How do you want to do this, Steve?"

"Quick and painless. Everyone's geared up?" Steve and the team slipped their ear pieces into place, and checked their weapons. Steve leaned on the passenger window and looked at Julia, his eyes and face firm. "You'll stay here, in the car."

"As promised. I'll be here. See you in a bit." As much as Julia knew about Steve's extensive training as a SEAL, she was still a bit concerned about what he and the team might encounter inside Lenola's apartment. As a two-striker, Lenola would do his damnedest to avoid a third, lifetime felony charge. Even with the most highly experienced and trained team, there was always the risk of the unexpected happening.

"You bet," Steve grinned confidently. As he turned to give directions to his team, she saw he had his game face on which relieved her. From what she had read and seen, Steve was very, very good at his job and his team seemed to know exactly what moves they were going to make. He gestured toward the apartment, taking Danny with him while Kono and Chin circled around the back entrance.

Steve made eye contact with Danny, who stood to the side as backup as Steve kicked in the door with his gun drawn. He quickly scanned the trashy living room before arriving at the kitchen door. With Danny in place, Steve flashed his gun into the empty kitchen while Kono and Chin entered from the back door. Suddenly, Steve heard a woman's screams coming from the bedroom, followed by the crash of a window breaking. He and Danny ran out the front of the apartment chasing after a large, muscular, slightly bloodied and shirtless man who was running down a side alley with a gun in hand.

For a split second, Chin looked at the woman still in Lenola's bed. Kono shouted, "Go, go! I've got her!" as she leveled her gun at the woman. Chin chased after Lenola behind Danny and Steve. "Hands up! Out of bed, get out, now!" Kono shouted at the woman, who was hysterically weeping in the bed, clutching the sheet around her. Kono heard a shout and then a gunshot in the distance. As she quickly glanced out the broken window, she heard another shot much closer and louder. She felt a searing pain in her arm as she fell back onto the floor from the force of the bullet.

Danny threw the suspect to the ground easily after he had been disabled by Steve's shot to the man's leg. He locked Lenola's hands behind his back, handcuffing him when he heard the second gunshot at the apartment. Chin and Steve raced back, calling for Kono over the mic as they ran.

Kono responded, "I'm okay! She got the jump on me, but it's just a scratch. She's headed for the front. I'm coming out from the apartment. Do you have Lenola?"

Steve reached the front entrance and inwardly he cursed as he felt his stomach drop. There, by his truck, was Lenola's girlfriend. His truck passenger door was open and the woman had Julia in a headlock with her gun pointed directly at Julia's head. God, if anything happened to her… he stepped cautiously closer to the woman holding Julia.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, it's okay," Steve said reassuringly to the woman, his gun pointed at her head, his eyes quickly darting about taking in the situation. Julia was holding on to woman's arm with both hands, her face surprisingly calm, her eyes focused on Steve. Kono came up from the apartment, holding her bleeding arm, Chin next to her with his weapon drawn. Their faces fell as they saw Julia being held at gunpoint. Danny arrived last, holding Lenola with one hand and his gun with the other.

"Drop it! Drop it, or I swear to God, I'll kill her!" the woman screamed, her gun pushed up hard against Julia's temple. Steve slowly raised his hands, taking his finger off of the trigger of his weapon, before carefully laying it down on the ground and stepping back.

"It's okay. Whatever you want, there's no need to hurt anyone. I've put down my weapon, now just let her go," Steve said carefully, his eyes locked on the gun against Julia's temple. Julia looked at Steve's face as she tightened her grip on the woman's arm that was wrapped around her throat. In spite of his confident, calm exterior, she saw a fear in him that saddened her. This is exactly what happens when emotions get involved, she thought. I can't think about his hurt and pain right now, not with a gun pointed at my head and a lunatic threatening to kill me. Julia took a deep breath as she focused on the situation, identifying all potential weapons, noting where Kono, Chin, and Danny were standing and how their guns were pointed, looking at Steve's gun on the ground, and feeling the weight of the Glock on her ankle. She saw a rusty pipe on the ground about 10 feet away, the truck door still ajar just feet in front of her. Her mind raced through potential scenarios like a supercomputer, weighing the options and identifying the best cases for survival.

"Akamu, oh my God, you're hurt, did these bastards hurt you?" Julia looked at Steve's firm but ashen face, and then she did the unthinkable. She caught his eye, and winked at him. The woman continued to talk to Lenola and Julia felt the gun fall away from the side of her head. Taking advantage of the brief moment of distraction, Julia reached up and slammed her left elbow into the woman's face several times. She grabbed the woman's arm that was still wrapped around her neck, flipping the woman violently over her head and onto the ground in one quick and dangerous move. Lenola's girlfriend slammed onto the ground on her back, screaming in pain. Julia quickly stepped sharply on the woman's right hand, releasing the gun and sliding it away with her foot toward Chin before the woman even knew what had happened.

Steve rushed over and flipped the suspect on to her stomach and cuffed her tight. The woman's face was bruised and bleeding, blood was pouring out of her apparently broken nose. As he looked up at Julia, she still had that calm look on her face, despite the fact that she had just been held at gunpoint and nearly killed. "Are you okay?" he asked her, searching her face and her eyes. She stood there, eerily calm, as the sirens blared in the distance.


	22. Chapter 22

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Reviews have been dropping off - if you can give just a quick note, it helps me to know what you like & don't, and to see that you want the story to continue. Love all of the favorites and regular reviewers! Big Mahalos!_

EMS had arrived and was patching up Kono's arm. It wasn't serious, just a through and through but they wanted her to go to the hospital to have it stitched up and examined. Steve ordered her to go to the E.R., something she was reluctant to do, but when Steve insisted, she knew she had no choice in the matter. Chin offered to follow Kono over to the hospital with her car.

Steve started to walk over to Julia, who had removed her tac vest and was being debriefed by HPD. Watching her, he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her close. He saw that she was trying to appear confident and calm, but he saw an undercurrent of fear that she was trying to keep at bay. Julia caught sight of him and smiled softly, embarrassed at the fuss over her. Steve couldn't get the image of her being held at gunpoint out of his mind, and his brow furrowed as he wondered if she was really as okay as she appeared. He needed to get her out of here and make sure she was all right.

"Commander McGarrett, there's something you need to see," one of the officers on scene said to him.

He paused, reluctant to leave her. He looked to his partner and nodded toward Julia. "Danny, can you…"

"Steve, I'm fine, go. Really." Julia insisted, nodding her head. Danny waved off the HPD officers and took Julia aside, gently taking her by the arm to his car and helping her inside. She leaned back into the Camaro and tried to breathe through the adrenaline still rushing through her system. They got them, they really got them, she kept thinking. It's done, and I'm okay. I'm fine. Steve's fine, I'm fine, everyone's fine. Kono will be fine. Everything's okay. We've got them. Her thoughts and emotions jumbled in her head in an endless loop.

Danny pulled out of the lot and onto the main road, looking at Julia, concerned but also confused. She avoided his gaze for a bit, looking silently out the window but she could feel his eyes boring into her. She was already near the end of her rope, and having Danny stare at her was driving her nuts. After a few minutes, she turned to him and raised her brows at him. "What? Ask already! You know you're going to!"

"How the hell did you do that? You know, a _normal_ person would quiver in fear, cry, beg, whatever. You winked. Winked! And then bashed in her face with your elbow before you flipped her over your head. Did Steve teach you that move when you two snuck off earlier today? Is this what happens when you start sharing smoldering looks with a commando?"

In spite of her physical and emotional exhaustion, she started to perk up a little as Danny became increasingly animated. His diatribe was oddly entertaining, and a welcome distraction from the mess of emotions she was feeling at the moment. "I took a self-defense class in college."

"A self-defense class? That's just a 'hit the creepy guy in the groin and poke out his eyes' class. There is no flipping in those classes. No punching with an elbow. No broken noses. There is _no_ _flipping_!" Danny exclaimed.

"It's true. I took a class. Pull my transcript. I got PE credit for it and everything. It was a useful class. Sophomore year, I think." She knew she was provoking him, but like picking on her older brothers, it was something she found irresistibly entertaining.

"There is something that you are not telling me. Something doesn't make sense, and when it doesn't make sense, it's _not_ _true_!"

Julia sighed. "I'm not sure why this is of such great interest to you. You should be happy. Your team just picked up Jennifer's probable killer, and possibly an accomplice as well. Now you get to interrogate a _real_ suspect instead of me. Won't that be fun? Besides, in the end, does it really matter?" Julia knew better than to smile at Danny right now. She had a feeling that if she did, he'd really go ballistic.

Danny glared at Julia. It did matter. Her story did not make any sense. Here was this woman, a professor, who knows far too much about solving crimes for someone who previously worked in a think tank (whatever _that_ is), and then badda-bing, she whips out this superwoman power and flips suspects over her head in a single bound. He alternated between watching the road and glaring at her.

Julia was tired and worn out, but there was something comical in Danny's passionate Jersey-ish argument that she couldn't resist, yet she barely had the energy to engage him. "Fine. I did take a self-defense class in college, and that is where I learned that particular move. But I am also a brown belt in Kempo Karate, which helps particularly with the flipping. I also knit, I like to kayak, and I'm a triathlete. I'm not too shabby at the guitar and cello. I sing in the shower, I make a mean martini, and I like to do the Sunday New York Times' crossword in pen. _Now_ do you know enough about me to just leave it alone?"

Danny was ready to offer a snippy retort when he realized he didn't have one. He grudgingly admitted that her reasoning made some sense. He still had a strong feeling that he wasn't getting the full story, but he also knew that pushing her probably wasn't going to work. He decided to leave her alone. She was just a civilian, after all, and she had just been attacked at gunpoint while helping them at their request. There was also the added fact that Steve would never forgive him if he pushed her too hard particularly given what she'd just been through.

Julia exhaled deeply, her body shuddering a little as she came down from the adrenaline rush. Her face paled noticeably, but she cracked the window slightly and closed her eyes. Danny looked over at her with concern. Before he could say anything, she headed him off. "I'm fine, really. Just a long day catching up with me, and I didn't expect it to end with a gun to my head. I'll be all right."

She didn't look well at all, Danny thought. "I should take you home."

"No, please, let's just go back to headquarters. I'm so close to connecting Lenola to the person who hired him. I know I'll get him now. Plus, I won't be able to sleep until I do, so it's pointless for me to go home," Julia pleaded softly with Danny as she tried to calm herself. She felt nauseous and drained but she had to finish what she'd started. She _had_ to finish it.


	23. Chapter 23

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Thanks for being patient with the pace. Part of it is I'm new to fanfic writing and part of it is I'm setting the foundation for future stories. Your feedback really helps and encourages me to keep the story going, so thank you for your comments, your favorites & tracking! I'm also working on the next in the series - more on the character side and less on the procedural, but let me know what you'd like to see/not like to see. Thank you! _

Steve walked back into headquarters to see Julia and Danny working at the smart table. Julia had freshened up a bit after her frightening encounter but was still pale. Danny was watching her, a worried look on his face. They both brightened when they saw Steve.

"How's Kono?" Danny asked.

"She's fine. She'll be here shortly with Chin. I wanted her to go home but she insisted on coming in. She'll have a sling for a few days while her arm heals, but the bullet thankfully missed all of the major arteries and blood vessels. What are you still doing here?" Steve asked, his voice showing his concern for Julia as he placed his hand gently on her shoulder.

She noticed that his hand drifted down her bare arm, and sighed inwardly as he softly rubbed her arm. It was difficult to be near him and focus on her work, but in many ways she welcomed the comfort of his touch. Unfortunately it reminded her of all of the feelings she'd pushed aside to finish this case. Emotions were too dangerous. She'd already found herself at gunpoint today for being distracted. She couldn't do this now, she thought, as she cleared her throat and stepped back from Steve to focus on the smart table. "I'm just finishing up. We've nearly got it. Thankfully Lenola and his girlfriend are not nearly as clever as the Chases at stashing money." Flipping some info up on to the big screen, she continued. "I found five deposits, two of them about three weeks ago, and another three on Monday, all for $9,999 into Lenola's Bank of America account."

Danny looked puzzled as he looked at the data. "Why $9,999?"

Steve looked at Julia, confused at her reaction. Maybe it was just the aftershocks of the afternoon, but for whatever reason, right now she seemed to need to concentrate on the case. He answered, "Post-9/11, all wire transfers and cash withdrawals or deposits over $10,000 require paperwork to be filed with Homeland Security."

Julia nodded and continued, "Most transfers close to the limit are flagged as well, particularly by a national bank like B of A. I wouldn't be surprised if they set aside the cash at the branch. But because it is cash, I can't trace it back to the person who paid him to kill Jennifer. We also don't know what his girlfriend's involvement is."

"Who is she?" Steve asked.

"Thalia Neman. She not only has a record, but she also has a warrant out for her arrest for a B&E last year. That may be helpful in giving you a little leverage." Julia shot Thalia's record and mugshot up onto the screen.

"The couple that steals together, stays together." Danny added.

"I have a thought on how to tie it all together, but it's, well, unconventional again. I take it that's not a problem?" Julia started. Steve nodded, so she continued. "Lenola doesn't seem to be the sort who would be up on current banking laws. What if I went in after you two started interrogating him, and indicated that we were able to trace the serial numbers on the cash back to the person who hired him? Offered him a ticking clock?"

Danny nodded. "Might work. Might backfire. What's our backup plan?"

Steve scoffed slightly. "There is no backup plan. This is barely a primary plan. What would you need?"

"Could borrow your ID holder? I'll just flash him my U of H ID and tell him I'm with the Secret Service."

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute, you're going to impersonate a Federal agent? Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that highly illegal? Let me think for a moment. Oh, wait, I know this one… yes, it _is_ illegal, and the Feds are not the sort that would appreciate the whole 'ends justify the means' defense!" replied Danny, emphatically.

Steve looked at Julia, who dropped her eyes briefly. Danny looked at the two of them, confused by the silent treatment. Julia looked up and caught Danny's eyes. She took a deep breath, and started. "Danny, when you asked me before about when I took down Thalia, I wasn't entirely truthful. I _did_ learn that move in a self-defense class, and I _am_ a brown belt in karate. But I also spent five years as a Special Agent with the Secret Service. So while saying I'm with the Service is a small fib, considering the consulting and the work I continue to do, it's a small one I think they will forgive me for."

Danny looked at Julia, surprised, but suddenly understanding how much her admission made sense and how many of the puzzle pieces clicked into place. Julia continued, "Due to the nature of my work, I try to be very discreet with who knows about my history. It's why it doesn't show up on any background checks, and why most of my friends and colleagues know very little about what I did for the Service. I'll read Chin and Kono in later, but honestly, right now I'm too beat to think about it. I've already shared far more with the two of you than I ever intended to," she said, sighing as her shoulders sank a little from the realization she had to disclose one more thing to Steve and Danny. She stepped away from the table to take a sip of water as she thought about what she needed to say. She turned back to face the two of them, as Steve and Danny both noticed the serious, drawn look on her weary face.

"There is one more thing both of you need to know. I can only give you about an hour before I need to make a call about Thalia."

Steve looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean, you need to make a call?"

"I have to report the incident when she took me hostage. I won't be permitted to be a witness. The U.S. Attorney's office will step in and give her a plea to avoid my being named in any indictment or charge. The only way you can convict her is if you get Lenola to roll on her for Jennifer's murder," Julia said, tiredly. "I'm sorry, but I have no choice."

Steve noticed the toll the day's events had taken on her. Although she had applied her makeup skillfully, as he looked carefully he could see the deep circles under her eyes and the pallor of her skin. He couldn't imagine how frustrating it must be to be taken at gunpoint and know that your attacker would never stand trial for the crime. The secrets she kept, the private life she led - he knew what that was like. He knew how hard it was to trust others, to put your life in their hands. He realized that although he trusted his team, he had never had that feeling of trust with a woman. He wasn't sure he could.

As Steve looked at Julia, he saw in her a strength that didn't come from her training or from her work – it was something she had developed and honed over the years to keep doing the job she needed to do despite anything she might be feeling physically or emotionally. He shared the same ability, and right now, he knew that more than anything, she _needed_ to finish this case with them. He also knew that right now, her idea was the only one that might work.

"So let's go and do this. What's your plan, Julia?"


	24. Chapter 24

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note:** _Sorry it's been a few days - I've been swamped with work, but wanted to get the latest chapter up. Thanks so much for your support, and I hope you like it__! Working on some great scenes to come - please keep the comments coming too!_

Chapter 24

Steve and Danny were in the interrogation room with Lenola, who was shackled to a chair in the middle of the empty room, only a bare metal table in front of him. Lenola kept requesting a lawyer, while Steve, playing bad cop, stared at him menacingly while Danny tried to get him to talk about what had happened with Jennifer. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Steve opened the door, and Julia walked in, her hair neatly pulled back into a bun and a file in her hand.

"Akamu Lenola, I'm Special Agent Abbott with the United States Secret Service," Julia said as she quickly flashed her U of H ID before stuffing it in her back pocket. She turned to Steve and said, "Commander McGarrett? I just left the third suspect in Interrogation Room C. They're looking to talk with you, something about a deal." Steve nodded, and got up and left. She turned to Lenola and tossed the open file on the desk, letting it slide toward him. Continuing, she said, "You made five deposits in the past three weeks into your personal bank account, each one a cash deposit for $9,999. What did you do with the 99 cents?"

"I want a lawyer, lady, and I got no idea what you're talking about."

"It's 'Special Agent Abbott,' not 'lady." Julia glared at him. "It's also a little-known fact that if you deposit an amount of cash close to the $10,000 mandatory reporting limit, the bank is required to notify Homeland Security and the Secret Service. We've been watching you for several weeks, ever since your first deposit. Thankfully, your bank was happy to comply with our request and they set aside the cash. Did you know that the cash you deposited was numbered sequentially? That file in front of you tracks _every_ _single_ dollar bill back to the same account. And you and I both know the account holder. In fact, I talked to them earlier today."

Lenola didn't flinch. "Hey lady, what you want with me anyway? I'm a third-striker, whatever I do, I'm going in for life, no point in me snitching on anyone. I want my lawyer."

Julia looked at Danny and smiled. "Detective Williams, since the money he deposited was intended to fraudulently bypass PATRIOT Act reporting restrictions, I believe that gives us Federal jurisdiction in this case."

Danny grinned at Julia. "Federal, huh? Well, the State of Hawaii would have to give up its right of jurisdiction, _but_ if you wanted to step in, I don't think we'd have a problem. Hey Lenola, don't you have a kid on the island?"

Julia bent down close to Lenola, his foul breath filling her nostrils. She hated this part of the job. "Akamu, let me lay this out for you. In five minutes, I walk out that door and I call the U.S. Marshals to come and pick you up and transport you to a Federal pen. After you stand trial and are convicted, and you _will_ be convicted, there's no Federal prison in Hawaii. Have you ever been to Florence, Colorado? Pretty far trip for your boy, but I'm sure his mom can spring the airfare once a year."

Standing up, she turned to Danny, smiling. "Detective, did you know that the Federal high-security prisons are state-of-the-art? They are _really_ something to see. Akamu, you're a lucky man. Each cell has it's own shower, toilet, sink, concrete bed, and concrete desk built right in. There's no need to go to general pop for anything – you get your three square meals a day in your very own cell. It's like room service. You even have a tiny window overlooking… well, overlooking nothing. But you might get a glimpse of the Rockies in the distance on a good day. And for recreation, you have your very own personal outside mini-yard for an hour a day! You don't need to go anywhere, talk to anyone – it's a private mountain retreat. Very clean. Quiet. Peaceful. Think of it as a high-security bed & breakfast."

Danny smiled as he raised his brow. "No radio or TV then? Sounds like a nice place to get away."

"Oh, it is. _Very_ quiet. No talking, really. Some people get a little agitated, but then there's always solitary, which makes your regular cell look like a _palace_. If you behave, sometimes you can get books, maybe even a radio after a few months. I think Akamu would really like it. It's a little cold, but you get used to it, especially after what, fifty years or so?"

Lenola looked at the two cops. The thought of serving time for the rest of his life was bad enough, but away from his family and everyone in general, man, he couldn't even think of it. Plus what did he care about the idiots who hired him? They were going down too. What the hell did he owe them?

Danny turned to Lenola. "Commander McGarrett is talking to the account holder whose money you deposited right now. We don't care who we get. If they tell us their story first, they may get a plea. You, my friend, may get the chance to stay in Hawaii at Halawa and see your son now and then. But your five minutes are just about up."

Lenola stayed silent. "Special Agent Abbott, thanks for dropping by. You can use my phone in my office to call the marshals." Julia shrugged her shoulders, and proceeded to leave.

"Wait, wait. I don't owe those idiots a thing. I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Just promise me I'll serve in Hawaii, no feds!"

Danny agreed. "Start talking, and start with the lovely Ms. Neman. What was her role in all of this? How were you contacted, and how did you get paid, and what happened with the girl's murder?"

With that, Julia picked up the file off of the desk and walked out as Lenola started to spill the beans on everything and everyone associated with Jennifer's murder. Steve was waiting on the other side of the interrogation room. He smiled at her. "Well done, Dr. Abbott. I'm suitably impressed." Reaching down, he whispered softly, his breath hot and just inches away from her ear, "I'm surprised the Secret Service ever let you go."

Julia's breath caught with Steve's words, as she tried for a moment to unsuccessfully concentrate her thoughts back on the case. Two can play that game, she thought. She shot Steve a wicked smile, gesturing with her finger for him to come in a bit closer. He bent down, and as she caught his gaze, she leaned forward, her mouth and nose nearly touching his, and whispered conspiritorally, "I can be _very_ difficult to let go of." She lingered there for a moment, before stepping back and flashing her wry smile at him. His heart raced as he had to admit that she had a talent for pushing his buttons, and pushing them well.

She handed him the fake file with random numbers and account titles on it that she'd made up as a prop, as well as his ID holder. "I take it the girlfriend didn't take the bait, and was smart enough to keep her mouth shut?"

"Yeah, good thing Lenola's not the brains in the relationship. Give him a minute and he'll tell us where Jimmy Hoffa is buried." Julia laughed at Steve's retort, the earlier tension between them sufficiently released.


	25. Chapter 25

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _So happy to bring you the next chapter in the story. Mahalos for all of the wonderful feedback and comments - if you read and can leave a comment, even a quickie (LOL) I would very much appreciate it! It means a great deal to me that you are enjoying the story. For Stelia fans (thanks msgemgem for the term!) there is more for you in the next few chapters..._

Chapter 25

Steve and Julia walked slowly back toward the bullpen, his hand gently resting on the small of her back. Chin glanced up at the two of them from the smart table, relieved to see that Julia was okay after the events at Lenola's apartment. He had taken Kono home to his house. Once the painkillers kicked in at the hospital, her resolve to head back to the office was replaced with a need to nap on the couch. He'd left her there with Malia to keep an eye on her, and a stack of surfing movies to watch. Steve and Julia's closeness was not lost on him, though. He watched, smiling, as they brushed up against each other as they went through the stack of files on the large table, Julia periodically glancing up at Steve from under her long lashes.

The three turned toward Danny as he came out of the interrogation room just a few minutes later, smiling as he rubbed his hands together. "It was Angela Chase, with her father's money. Apparently, Daddy Warbucks had stepped in to cover the cash that Doug was stealing. Angela and Papa Fenn didn't want anyone to find out about the embezzling. When Jennifer moved to Hawaii, Angela was able to keep her in the field, out of the office and away from the files, but then she found out that Jennifer had uploaded some reports showing Doug's theft to a cloud backup site. She hired Lenola to get Jennifer to log in and delete the files, and then kill her. The girlfriend was a decoy to lure Jennifer out to his car. They weren't supposed to drug her but Lenola panicked when Jennifer balked at leaving the fundraiser with Thalia."

Chin started typing on the smart table, frowning as he worked. "There's one problem. The money came from Angela's father, Harold Fenn. Here are the withdrawals from his account which match Lenola's deposits." He flicked the account details onto the screen. "But without corroboration, we have nothing against Angela Chase except an accomplice's testimony. There's no other tie between her and the contract on Jennifer. Lenola's testimony against her won't hold up in court, and I doubt her father or her husband would testify against her."

Julia thought for a minute, then pulled out her cell and started flipping through her contacts. She looked at the team and grinned. "Hang on a sec, I think you're going to like this one." She put her phone on the table on speaker as it rang once and a man picked up. "Krista Davia, please. It's Julia Abbott."

They waited a moment before a woman's voice came on. "Julia, how are you? I've been thinking about you…"

Julia interrupted, "I'm well, thank you, and I'm sorry to call so late but I thought I might catch you at the office." She continued, "Krista, I've got you on speaker with Commander Steve McGarrett, Detective Danny Williams, and Lieutenant Chin Ho Kelly of the Five-0 Task Force in Honolulu. I'm hoping you can help them with something." Flipping through some files on the smart table, Julia brought up the one she was looking for. "Can you take a look at Douglas and Angela Chase's last two returns? Primary SSN is 149-80-7832. Did they, by any chance, report about $10 million dollars of other income on either return?"

"Let's see, base salary, some rental income, capital gains, some non-quals…. No, no miscellaneous income," Krista replied.

"And let me guess, they filed jointly and both signed the return?"

"I have their signatures right here," Krista confirmed. Julia smiled up at the team, who were trying to figure out what she was doing.

"Krista, Five-0 has evidence of Douglas Chase embezzling over $10 million from Metadyne, and Angela Chase had full knowledge of the theft. Since they filed jointly, I believe you have enough to charge both of them with tax fraud." Julia looked at Steve, who nodded, grinning.

"Ms. Davia, this is Commander McGarrett. Lieutenant Kelly is going to send you the case files you'll need shortly."

The phone went silent for a moment, and then Krista came back on. "It appears that Mr. Chase is an officer of the corporation he's accused of embezzling from? I'll notify the SEC as well as the U.S. Attorney's office. Once we confirm your evidence, we'll freeze all of their individual and corporate assets and file a court order to put the company into receivership. I'll have to check with the U.S. Attorney, but RICO might apply as well. Julia, this is a _nice_ catch. Thanks for sending it our way."

"Krista, we'll catch up sometime soon, I promise. All of the credit goes to Five-0. I'm retired, remember? Give my best to Jim and the kids, and thanks again." With that, she pushed the button to disconnect the call. Turning to the team, she explained, "Krista is the head of the enforcement division at the IRS. My guess is that by nine a.m. Eastern time tomorrow, she'll have her court orders in hand and begin seizing everything the Chases ever owned. Regardless of what other evidence turns up, I have no doubt that Mrs. Chase will be spending some quality time at Danbury FCI. I've heard it's lovely there this time of year."

Steve smiled, pleased that they had nailed the killer, her accomplice, and the hit men. "Chin, can you call the Attorney General's office and file our charges against Douglas Chase, Harold Fenn, and our two guests in Interrogation? Let's get the Chases extradited back here tomorrow. Danny, Julia, we have one last thing to take care of."


	26. Chapter 26

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Finale of Story 1 is coming - just a few chapters left. Thank you for your patience - this is an important scene for Steve, as he begins to realize the depth of his feelings for her. Please keep the reviews & comments coming!  
_

Chapter 26

Steve looked over at Julia as the three of them rode up silently in the elevator to Mr. & Mrs. Warren's room at the Ala Moana. Her face was still pale, and though she looked beautiful, he could tell she was completely worn out. He had thought she would want to be a part of this, to wrap up the case, but now he wondered if he was pushing her too far. It was hard to imagine that they had just met yesterday. They had both been pulled into this whirlwind of a case, and now it was finally nearing an end. Tomorrow the Chases would be extradited back to Hawaii, and HPD had already taken Angela's father into custody.

He didn't know what would happen with Julia when she returned back to the University. Even though it seemed to him that he barely knew her, he felt a deep sense of peace and comfort when he was around her, a feeling he'd never had before. It was a powerful feeling that excited and frightened him at the same time. Even though he had a reputation for being fearless, the idea of giving in to his feelings, of opening up to someone, of being vulnerable was almost terrifying. Maybe Danny was right, maybe he did have some 'control issues.' But being tightly in control had saved his life and the lives of his teammates time and time again. It seemed counter-intuitive to let go, particularly when it came to his emotions. Yet all of his instincts drew him to Julia, and he knew that no matter what it took, he wanted to be with her.

Julia rested her head against the wall of the elevator as it climbed, sensing Steve watching her. She tried to keep her focus on the task ahead of her, but it was difficult with him so close. More than anything, she did not want to be here, she did not want to have to face Jennifer's parents. This was one of the reasons she was happy being a researcher and an analyst. Talking with the families of the victims and seeing their grief only brought her own sadness to the surface. She had worked hard to bury her feelings so that she could keep doing her job. It was part of her training, and to be honest, she preferred to focus on her work rather than her feelings. Julia was afraid that if she gave in to the grief she harbored over her lost loved ones, she would never be able to stop. Losing control would be like drowning in her own emotions, and she had far too much on the line to let that happen.

Danny watched Julia slightly slumped next to him, and Steve quietly looking over her. Even before he'd found out that she had been a Fed, he could see that they had a lot in common. It wasn't an obvious connection on the surface – an accounting professor and a former SEAL – but they both had this analytical, control-freak, anal-retentive, stubborn tendency. The big difference was that Julia polished hers off with a sexy smile and gorgeous looks, while Steve didn't bother with much polish at all. Danny wondered if something had happened between them earlier. Either way, if they both let their stubbornness get in the way of _his_ happiness and safety, he'd have to find a way to shove the two of them together. Steve was definitely a little calmer and more reasonable when Julia was around, which made Danny's life far easier. Danny knew his aims weren't entirely selfish. Steve was his best friend and he deserved to be happy. But the fact that a happy Steve made for a safer Danny was not lost on him either.

The elevator dinged as it reached the eleventh floor. Julia took a deep breath, straightened up, and walked calmly out of the elevator toward the Warrens' room with Danny and Steve behind her. When she got to the door, she stepped back to let Steve take the lead. Her face tightened and her eyes narrowed, as she readied herself while Steve knocked on the door. A tall man with a sad, haunted look to his eyes answered, and led them inside. Jennifer's mother was waiting for them on the couch, a damp handkerchief clutched in her hand.

"Mr. and Mrs. Warren, you remember Detective Williams?" Danny shook their hands and remained standing. "This is Dr. Julia Abbott, from the University of Hawaii. She's an expert in forensic accounting, and helped us quite a bit with your daughter's case." Steve nodded to Julia.

"Mr. and Mrs. Warren, we are all deeply sorry for your loss. We have some updates on the case we wanted to share with you. Jennifer had uncovered a conspiracy at Metadyne to embezzle millions of dollars. We believe she was murdered because of the information she found. The people we tied to the theft and cover-up hired two individuals to kill her. We have three suspects in custody, and are arranging for the extradition of two more suspects to stand trial for these crimes," Julia said carefully, her face firm but kind as she updated Jennifer's parents.

She paused for a moment, "Jennifer was trying to do the right thing, and because of her actions, we've now been able to uncover a massive theft and fraud. While I know nothing I can say will take away the pain of losing her, her death was not in vain. As we speak, Hawaii Five-0, the Honolulu Police Department, the Department of the Attorney General, the Internal Revenue Service, the U. S. Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the U.S. Attorney's Office are all working hard to ensure that your daughter's killers are brought to justice. Please accept our deepest sympathies on the loss of your daughter."

Mrs. Warren began to sob, as her husband took her in his arms and quietly thanked them. Julia took a breath, willing the lump in her throat to let her finish, "I'm very sorry…" She paused, nodded to the Warrens, and turned to leave, forcing herself to walk slowly in spite of the need she felt to run out of that room as fast as she could.


	27. Chapter 27

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note:** _A bit more romance for those who appreciate a little Steve action. I love writing for him... Thanks for the comments so far - I just made some small changes that were screaming out to me when I read it after posting. _

Chapter 27

Steve watched Julia leave quickly, his obvious concern for her reflected in his eyes. Danny turned to him and said quietly, "Go ahead, I've got this." Steve excused himself from the Warrens and walked out of the suite. He saw Julia half-walking, half-running toward the stairwell. He called out to her, but she continued to open the door and slipped inside.

He jogged down to the stairwell and opened the door. Julia was sitting on the landing, her head in her hands as she silently wept. Steve sat next to her, afraid to touch her at first. She seemed so small in that moment. With the Warrens, she had been professional and empathetic, but now he knew how much that had cost her. This whole case had hit her close from the beginning. He wished he could take it all back as he saw the pain that it had brought Julia. He put his hand gently on her shoulders, and then pulled her softly into his arms.

"I can't, I can't… I should be able to…" she choked out the words as she tried to wipe the tears away.

"Shh. It's okay, it's okay," Steve murmured to her, holding her closer, his cheek gently pressed against her head. His hand reached up to stroke her hair as he tried to comfort her. He rocked her gently as he whispered softly in her ear.

"I can't do this, I can't. I can't fall apart, it's not… I shouldn't let it get to me! I should never have let it get to me!" She pushed up against him, her fists clenched in anger. This was unacceptable, she thought. Unacceptable, and unprofessional, weak, pathetic! She wanted to strike out, to hit something, to hurt something, to do anything to reflect the anger she directed at herself for feeling helpless. Her eyes flared with fury, as she wanted to lash out against herself.

Steve grabbed her clenched fists, and then wrapped his arms tightly around her. She tried to fight him, to push him away but he was too strong for her, and finally she was too weary to fight. "Hey, hey, darling. It's okay, it is. You can let it go. You don't have to be strong with me. I can be strong enough for both of us." Julia buried her face in his chest, her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't look at him. He shouldn't ever see her this way, so emotional and weak. She tried to force herself to stop crying, taking ragged breaths through her tears as she tried to quiet her sobs.

"Just breathe, take a deep breath. It's okay to let go, it's okay. I promise I won't let you fall." Steve pulled away from Julia briefly, tipping her bowed chin up to look in her wounded eyes. "I would never let you fall." He gently wiped a tear away from her cheek with his thumb. Carefully, slowly, he reached down to kiss her softly. His kiss was different this time. It said what he couldn't say with words. It said that he understood, that he knew the pain was unbearable, and that she could trust him with all of it. No matter what, he could take it.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with the past few days of emotional upheaval and exhaustion. She felt empty inside, completely drained and bare. As she gazed into his eyes, she felt a familiar stirring deep inside. She reached up and put her hand on his cheek. Realizing he was holding himself back from her, she kissed him, lingering a moment, before pulling him in sharply to her. She needed to not feel numb, she needed his touch, and more than anything she needed the distraction from the unbearable grief and pain she felt inside. She quickly teased his mouth open, desperate now to taste every bit of his mouth. Her tongue wrapped around his, seeking, needing, urging him on as her hands twisted softly in his hair, tugging his head closer to hers.

Steve felt his passion begin to rise. He wanted to hold back, but Julia seemed to have other things in mind. Her mouth was soft and sweet, and soon his desire began to push past his control. Steve's hands traveled carefully down her back, pulling her shirt up just barely, placing his hands on her bare waist. As he touched her skin, she began to push up against his body, moaning softly at the sensations building inside of her. She pushed up against him further, rubbing up against his pelvis, feeling him respond to her needy advances. Steve felt his skin tingle as Julia's fingers slid down his back, barely touching him yet inflaming his passion for her. A groan escaped his lips, and he moved his lips to the soft dip at the base of her neck, trailing kisses across her throat, before returning to her swollen lips. His body continued to respond as his mind began to race, thinking of how much he wanted to have her at this moment, how he wanted to give in to their mutual passion and need.

He forced himself to slow down, remembering that they were sitting in a concrete stairwell in a hotel with Danny just outside probably watching from the window. As much as he wanted her, and she wanted him, this wasn't how he wanted it to be. It was hot, steamy, and intense, but a voice inside of him reminded him that she deserved more than just a passionate encounter. He pulled back from her, kissing her cheek, then her nose, then her soft, swollen lips. He placed his hands on her shoulders, gently easing her back.

Julia slowed her breath, realizing that she had gotten uncharacteristically carried away. "I'm sorry," she said, looking down, afraid for a moment to look into his eyes.

"Don't be. Don't be sorry. This just isn't how I want our first…" he chuckled softly, "This isn't what I want for us, baby. We have time. Let's take our time," he smiled, caressing her cheek and kissing her sweetly one last, long, deep lingering time.

Julia leaned into him, her hot forehead on his reddened cheek, and took a deep breath. Sitting up, she looked down away from Steve and wiped her eyes with her hands, composing herself as best she could. She started to stand and wobbled from exhaustion, and he quickly wrapped his arm around her. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning in to him, taking a moment to feel his arms around her. She closed her eyes, and buried her nose into his chest, inhaling as she remembered his fresh, clean, masculine scent. She tried to gather her thoughts together and cool down before heading out with Steve's arm still wrapped around her waist.

Steve looked down at her, smiling, "Let's get you home, okay?" He opened the door to find Danny waiting in the hallway, quietly concerned for Julia and noting her flushed, tear-stained face. As Julia fumbled for her keys, Steve asked, "Can I drive you home? Please?"

In spite of her utter exhaustion, Julia looked up at him, a trace smile gracing her weary face. "I think that's the first time I've heard you say 'please'," she said, handing him the keys.

Danny smiled as he put his arm around her shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. "It _is_ the first time he's ever said 'please.' This is one of the many reasons we should keep you around." He looked over at Steve and grinned.


	28. Chapter 28

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note**: _Second to last chapter in this story... but you'll be happy to note that I've written several chapters of the next story in the Unbreakable series. However, due to (more) romance, that will be likely rated M. Not smutty M, just fun romantic flirty M. Please keep the comments and feedback coming - and let me know what you'd like to see in Steve & Julia's next saga..._

Chapter 28

The team had gathered the next night for Thursday cocktails and dinner at the Hilton. They were celebrating several things – Grace, who was joining them much to everyone's delight, Kono's quick recovery, and the end of a difficult and tiring case. The Chases had been extradited earlier that day and Danny and Steve had the pleasure of watching them return home in cuffs and shackles with a bevy of Federal and local law enforcement ready to take them into custody. The Warrens had been on the tarmac as well, pausing to see the evil and greed that had murdered Jennifer before they took their daughter home one last time.

The lights were low as the local Hawaiian bands played. Danny seemed a little edgy, looking over his shoulder as though he was waiting for something. The rest of the group was relaxed and getting a little silly as they let loose.

"Hey, Steve, where's Julia?' Kono asked. "She should be here to celebrate!"

"I called her earlier today, but she had plans. She said she'd join us another time." The team laughed as Steve began to blush a bit. He was so taken - hook, line, and sinker. They all enjoyed seeing the big bad SEAL at the mercy of the petite professor. It was about time, they thought.

"So, Danny, did Steve really say 'please'?" Chin asked. "I think that must be a McGarrett first!"

"He really did. I should have recorded it. Sorry all, I hope I'm not too late?" Julia stepped forward to join the group. She was wearing a blue Hawaiian sundress with a halter top, her hair flowing softly down around her bare shoulders, and bearing a relaxed grin. She looked entirely different than she had just the night before.

Steve stood up quickly, surprised, and held out the empty chair for her that Danny had insisted on having. Grinning at her, he said, "I thought you said you had plans?"

She smiled gently, "I did, with a very special guy, but then Danny called me to suggest that I bring him along." She turned, and reached her hand out to someone who was right behind her but reluctant to come out. Turning further, she took his hand and brought him forward. A little blond boy, nearly four years old with bright blue eyes and Julia's long lashes peeked his head out from behind her dress.

"Everyone, this is my son Andy. Andy, this is Detective Williams, Officer Kalakaua, Detective Kelly, and Commander McGarrett. And you must be Grace!" Julia said, smiling. Chin introduced Malia, and Julia happily met Chin's beautiful wife. Julia caught Steve's surprised eye, and tilted her head to the side at him in a silent question. He grinned back. All was okay. She had been worried how Steve would respond to this latest surprise, but was relieved to see that he didn't seem to mind in the least.

"We need another chair – let's get this big guy a chair!" Danny called out, grabbing a nearby seat for Andy as Julia sat down in the empty seat next to Steve. Steve handed her a menu.

"Kono, how are you feeling?" Julia asked, concerned about her new friend.

"No worries, sistah, I was a little lolo afterward from the meds but I'm fine now. Ho, that was quite a move you made yesterday!"

Julia blushed, and said quietly, "I was lucky." Changing the subject, she asked, "What's everyone having?"

"Surf & turf," they all replied for Steve, laughing. Steve signaled to the waitress to stop by.

"Just a Longboard for me, and a plain milk for my little friend. He'd like a mac & cheese with a side of overcooked broccoli. Could I please have a petite sirloin, extremely rare, with grilled shrimp and mashed potatoes? Thank you!" Turning to the team, she said "I didn't realize how starved I am. I must have slept twelve hours last night and still I was a bit of a zombie through my classes today." She and Steve smiled at each other again, wordlessly sharing that they had thought of each other quite a bit since yesterday.

"Danno, I want to make a sandcastle. Can Andy come with me?" Grace pleaded.

Andy tugged on his mom's hand as he said, "Mama, I wanna make a castle-castle-castle!"

Although the beach was right near the table, Julia felt more than a bit overprotective of Andy. "Why don't I come and watch too? Andy's pretty little and I'd like to keep an eye on him." Turning to the group, she said, "He keeps me on my toes. We'll be back in a bit." Julia smiled as she stood up to follow Andy and Grace over to the beach just as the waitress dropped off their drinks. Steve grabbed their beers to join her, while the rest of the team shot knowing glances at each other.


	29. Chapter 29

Justified – Story 1 in the Unbreakable series

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to the writers & producers of Hawaii Five-0. My own characters belong to me :-)

**Rating**: T (for romance)

**Pairing**: Steve/OC, Steve/Danny (friendship - no slash)

**Author's Note:** _The last chapter – as promised. Thank you very much for the reviews – please keep them coming – and for following me and the story. If you like Julia & Steve here, you'll love them in the next story of the series, Captivated. Follow me so you don't miss a single chapter. Once it's out of beta, I'll begin posting chapters soon. Mahalo for your support!_

Chapter 29

As Andy and Grace started to collect shells for their castles, Steve led Julia over to a nearby beach chair. She sat next to him and looked out over the water. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful it is on the beach at night," she sighed, relaxed. "It's so peaceful and comforting." Steve put his arm around her, softly stroking his hand along her forearm as she leaned in closely to him.

"That other thing you wanted to tell me, when Danny called yesterday at the overlook… that was Andy?" Julia nodded softly. "I figured as much. Now I can see why you're so cautious about your privacy. Protecting yourself is one thing, protecting your son is another." Steve handed her a beer as he took a sip of his. "These aren't margaritas, I know, but…" he paused. "Is Andy why you left the Service?"

Julia glanced at Steve, giving him that sly look that made his breath catch. It was good to see him, and she had missed him more than she thought she ever could. She wasn't really ready to share the story with anyone, but she knew there would never be a good time, and regardless, she knew she could trust him. She sipped her beer, and took a deep breath, looking up at the stars. "No, not really," she admitted.

"I was on assignment in London when I found out I was pregnant. My superiors offered to rotate me back to the U.S., but I wanted to stay a few months longer. I was working on a joint operation with MI-6, and we had a lead on a terrorist cell being funded out of the UK. I wanted to see it through…" She paused, hesitant to go on. Steve gently took her hand in his. She looked at their intertwined hands for a moment and took another drink of her beer.

"When I was about six months pregnant, my husband Peter was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. I still can't help but think that if I'd accepted the rotation back home, he would have been diagnosed sooner," her voice drifted off, becoming a bit husky as the memories continued to flood back to her. Steve watched her silently in the moonlight. Her face darkened from the pain as her eyes began to well with unshed tears. He carefully stroked her hair, and waited patiently for her to continue. She focused on the waves, struggling to keep her composure, but it was difficult, especially with Steve sitting so close to her. She wanted to let go, to let everything go, but she couldn't. As much as she trusted him, she just couldn't take that risk. Not yet, at least.

"I went into premature labor before we could return to the States. The doctors were able to hold it off long enough for Andy's lungs to mature, and he was born a few weeks early in London. Thankfully he was big and healthy, and we were able to bring him home right away." She smiled, softly. "I remember those first few weeks with him, how amazing it was to see him grow so quickly. It was like the three of us were in this little protective cocoon, and everything seemed to be perfect."

She paused, looking at Steve. "Andy has dual citizenship, and because he was born overseas, he doesn't show up on most background checks or public records. In that way, I'm grateful that he was born in London. I still worry a great deal that the work I did may put him at risk. I don't think I could ever live with myself if something happened to him."

Andy raced over to show Julia and Steve a shell he'd found. Steve watched, transfixed as Julia gently turned it over and oohed and aahed at the little shell, delighting Andy. He had never thought of her as the maternal type, but he could see now how it explained many of her traits and instincts. Julia kissed the top of Andy's head, and he ran back to Grace, giggling. "Grace is really good with him," Steve commented, smiling. "I think he's found a friend."

Julia smiled at Steve, "He likes our life in Hawaii. The beach, the water, the people. I wanted him to grow up somewhere safe, where he could play in our yard, meet friends, and ride his bike. It was difficult to leave Virginia, but I'm glad we came." She turned away and looked at the water again, her voice softening. "It's so different here. For the first time in a long time, I'm starting to feel a sense of peace."

Steve brushed a stray hair away from the side of her face, noticing the sadness that crept into her eyes. He didn't want to push her or make her feel that she had to open up to him. He needed no explanation, and the last thing he wanted to do was make her feel more pain. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me, you know."

She turned to look at him, her eyes jumbled with emotions. Quietly, she said, "Yes, I do. I want you to know." Her eyes started to well up again and she looked away toward the water. Huskily, she said, "I _need_ you to know." They sat in silence, listening to the waves crash, the peals of laughter coming from Grace and Andy, and the distant sounds of the group in the background. Steve gently placed his hand on her back, rubbing it softly. His touch made her heart race, as familiar feelings started to stir in spite of the painful memories at the forefront of her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Julia continued. "After we came home to the States, we found out that Peter wasn't responding to the treatment. We were running out of time. A friend of his at NIH was able to get him in to a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins, but our insurance wouldn't cover it. The treatment was over $15,000 a month."

"It's hard to cover that sort of expense on a government salary, especially with a new baby," Steve said, gently.

Julia nodded quietly in sad agreement. "I reached out to a former professor of mine who had moved over to the Brookings Institute. He offered me a job in analytics. It was hard to leave my friends at the Service, but that clinical trial gave us time. It gave Peter the chance to hear his son say his first words, to see him take his first steps, and to celebrate his first birthday." Julia paused, the lump in her throat making it impossible to continue. She looked over at Andy, laughing and chasing after Grace. Carefully, quietly, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. "It was all worth it," she said, whispering, turning to look at Steve. The pain in her eyes took his breath away, and he wished more than anything he could take that sadness away from her.

Wordlessly, he pulled her close to him, holding her head gently with his hand as Julia nestled into his broad chest. She could hear his heart beating soft and strong. Here in his arms, she felt so safe and warm. She wished they could stay like this forever. She closed her eyes, taking in his powerful scent, feeling his arms around her holding her close. Pulling away slowly, she looked up to him, her eyes dark with worry, her brow furrowed deeply. "This… us… it could be dangerous…for _both_ of us. There are things that I can't share, that you can't…" She stopped, words failing her as fear for Steve gripped her heart. Her eyes continued to search his.

He met her gaze with a deep intensity, answering the questions she couldn't ask, the worries she couldn't name. Steve caressed her cheek gently with his thumb. He held her face with both hands, his eyes confident on hers, before reaching down to kiss her softly, sweetly, without any hesitation.

"It's worth it," he said, smiling. "It's all worth it."

End

**Stay tuned for the next story in the series – Captivated - coming very soon. Follow me so you don't miss a chapter! Thanks for the great support and reviews!**


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